Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-09-26
Significance of Textile Row
Subject of Press Comment

The personal intervention Of Presi-
dent Roosevelt in the textile strike
rather obscured the storm raised by
Gen. Hugh Johnson's denunciation Of
the strike and its leaders, but not be-
fore it had attracted widespread at
tention in the press.
The New York Times, quoting the
statement by Gen. johnson that the
strike was an absolute violation" of
an agreement of three months ago,
and recording the angry retort" and
denial from Chairman German Of the
Textile Strike Committee, declared
that there had been no answer to the
question whether Gen. johnson stated
the facts. "Mr. German affirmed that
the agreement with the textile workers
expressly reserved their right to
strike" the Times said. "Of course it
did. No man or group can be denied
the right to quit work. But if labor
union has agreed to do certain things
before coming to q decision to strike,
and then refuses to do them, or to be
bound by any understandings or
pledges to which its leaders have sub
scribed, it puts itself, as Gen. johnson
declared, in the position of an organ
ization with which it is not worth
while to make a contract. That phase
of the dispute has been put in the
right light by Gen. Johnson's speech.
The country Is also coming more
clearly to see that the strike was Or
dered less to redress grievances or
advance claims than to make a dem
onstration Of the power of the textile
workers-especially their power by
strikes and intimidation to unionize
the Southern cotton mills
The Charleston IS. c. Evening
Post wondered if Gen. johnson spoke
with the knowledge of the President,
and observed: IF the administration
as a whole backs up johnson, the
strikers will suffer the loss of aid some
OF their leaders counted on, a loss very
important to them in the meager state
of their finances. The situation pro-
vides a clear-cut test of the relief
policy in relation to strikes. If, in
the face of Gen. JohnSon's official
pronouncement on this strike, the
Government should make its relief
funds available to the textile strikers,
it would tremendously stimulate in
dustrial disputes"
1.-THE outbreak is the more remark
able" suggested the Muncie Evening
Press, because the Roosevelt regime
is commonly referred to as labor adj
ministration.' The friendliness to
labor interests of such aides Of the
President as Secretary of Labor Per-
kins and other important figures in
and near the cabinet, scarcely can be
questioned. In fact, enemies OF the
administration have all but openly as
serted that recent important strikes
about the country are due, at least in
part, to the known sympathy OF the
President and his advisers with the
cause of organized labor. The state
ment from a high official source that
strikers would not be permitted to
starve,' meaning that they would be
supported at public expense, gave a
further lift to the strikers cause"
1.-THE whole thing" the Lowell
Courier Citizen said, must be q sore
trial to Mr.. Roosevelt, with his faith
In mankind and his ready belief In the
planning of human action on the basis
Of that faith. A little bitter expert
ence viii probably sufice to reveal to
the socially conscious President that
men are motivated chiefly by blind
self-interest and . large quantity Of