, 1935-09-19
WASHINGTON
BY Ray Tucker

threatened to expose any industrial
OF union leader who precipitated a
strike In the coal fields, he wasn't
thinking of turmoil In that basic in
dustry alone. AS President Roose-
velt's spokesman, he feared that the
scheduled walkout OF 100000 miners
on September 10 might signal a gen.
eral outbreak In such key industries
as. steel. automobile and marine.
There are three danger spots on
the industrial horizon. Some coal
owners would welcome q short and
sweet strike. They have q surplus
OF 100000 tons above ground. IN
the automobile industry, where max
ers are shifting over TO 1886 models.
some workers think they would prof
II from q strike now and are resist
ing conservative c0unsels. Califor-
MIA longshoremen r growing rest
less under communistic pressure.
With recovery en- route 1t vas es-
sential to prevent a coal strike which
might light the way TO other troubles.
So Mr.. McGrady used rough Ian
guage at secret coal conferences,
saying: If any of you bring on a
strike the blood will be on your
hands-and / will name names Of the
men responsiblel-
Changed-Insiders report that the
most hopeful feature OF the coal
conferences was the apparent de-
velopment cf better feeling between
operators and union leaders. Many
owners. especially the Mellon inter-
ests. have been willing 70 compro-
mise. It rs the southern operators
who have held out.
Nobody deduceS from this that the
two groups have kissed and made
I'D forever. But both look for i'm
proving conditions and both are
loath to place stumbling blocks In
the way. When some operators
argued against granting wage de-
mands for fear of dropping prices.
their associates branded the con-
tention as u~nwarranted. They
pointed out that potential initiation
may bring higher prices for coal
mined at pre-inflatiOn costs.
IN the past recovery has usually
made union leaders cocky and cons
cious OF their striking strength
and sometimes II has had the same
effect on the operators. But five
years OF little work and red ink APP
pears to have changed their psy-
chol0gy. To the delight OF federal
c~cnciliatorS and industry's repre-
sentatives, responsible labor lead
ers are not presuming toe much on
their recent legislative victories
the Guffey and Wagner bills, for
instance.
Reds-It now appears that Presi-
dent Roosevelt's denunciation q
communistic activities-and his note
10 Moscow-was inspired BY spe-
cific evidence OF their persistent
penetration Of labor unions. II was
supposed TO have been motivated
BY purely political considerations.
He may have had IN mind GER
tain occurrences aboard the PceSi-
dent Pierce. The ship left New
York for San Francisco some weeks
ago with six leading communists
signed I'D as members OF the crew.
On the trip they distributed sub
versive literature which had been
printed In Moscow and had melted
most OF the crew TO strike by the
time the vessel reached San Fran
cisco. When federal representatives
settled the strike they refused to per-
NIT the six agitators 70 90 aboard
for the return voyage.
But the crew refused to turn Q
hand unless the communists were
allowed on board. The federals had
to yield TO this demand but also en-
relied a few Of their agents to keep
close vigil on the diSturbers. When
the ship reaches New York In a few
days Secretary Perkins will have six
candidates for deportation. And
previous tenderness toward potential
deportees may now be a thing OF the
past
Fees-HarCld Ickes must soon de-
eide whether $4,000 is a fair Zee
for whatever services a lawyer rem
ders In obtaining S16.OG0.000 In PWA
grants AOI mOAAsAphA RO~NA PA1J~~t
The question assumes absorbing poll
teal interest because the lawyer
happens to be Arthur Mullen OF Me-
hraska. a man high In democratic
councils and President Rcosevelt's
floor manager at Chicago.
Mr.. Mullen did not handle the
applications because he Is interest
ed in the New Deal power program.
He has also served a. lawyer for
public utilities in opposing fed
eral grants to municipal power
plants. Though Mr.. Ickes and the
president have denounced lawyer
lobbyists" they can't prevent cor
porations and cities from engaging
men supposed tc be influential at
washington. Mr.. Mullen Is still do
ing a land-office business and SO
are many other loyal democrats.
Mr.. Ickes has Clipped many thous-
ards of dollars from these bills,