Evening star., 1936-08-19

Pennsylvania, West Virginia and
Illinois.
That the administration appreciates
Lewis support goes without saying.
But gratitude is not the only reason
why many in the administration favor
Lewis new G. I. o.
Labor Party Dreams Wo0ed.
Some in the administration dream
Of labor praty in America, to have
the same important place in politics
that labor parties have in some Euro
pean countries. Such a party would
supplant or absorb the present Demo-
cratic party. Those who dream
labor party in America think that
Lewis new c. I. o., II successful,
would be the nucleus Of 1t. Conse-
quently they favor Lewis in his pres
ent struggle against the American
Federation Of Labor.
Some of the more radical within
the administration dream something
even broader than a labor party.
They contemplate, as Prof. Tugwell
put 1t In speech at Los Angeles last
October, "a farmer-worker alliance in
this country which will carry all be-
fore it," They dream q wholly new
form Of society analogous to the Rus
sian one. They dream form of So
ciety In which only workers and farm
ers shall be recognized, in which there
shall be no private ownership Of in
dustry or business, In which the func-
tions now carried on by private busi-
ness men and corporations shall be
carried on by the Government. Those
who dream thus think that Lewis
c. I. O., If successful, would be a step
toward the goal at which they aim.
1t would be hard to say how far
Lewis goes along with the radicals
within the administration. His ideas
may not coincide with theirs to any
great extent. He may aim merely to-
ward new big and powerful union
Of labor, and toward beating down
the existing American Federation Of
Labor. At the same time, Lewis is
very ambitious and aggressive. even
ruthless. 1t is possible he may to
some extent share the dream of the
radicals in the administration. He is
close to leading figures in the
administration.
Wins Many New Dealers.
In any event, in the present strug-
gle between Lewis new c. I. o. and
the old American Federation Of Labor,
much Of the administration Is sympa-
thetic to Lewis and his c. I. o. Prac-
tically all thoroughgoing New Dealers
think of the American Federation as
an old-fashioned, anti-revolutionary,
conservative organization which is
content with the existing order of So
ciety and has no purpose beyond get
ting for labor a constantly larger
share of the fruits of industry.
While many within the administra-
ton favor Lewis c. /. O., their SYM
pathy SO far is kept beneath the sur
| face They keep in mind the presi-
Dental campaign. They want the
votes of both wings Of labor for Mr..
Roosevelt and they wish to avoid
giving open cause for of1ense to the
old American Federation. Until after
the election. the administration policy
is to walk tight-rope between the
! contending organizations. But thegS
| can be little doubt where the sympa-
| thy of the administration lies. One
person high in the administration re-
Gently took an extraordinary step de-
signed to help Lewis c. I. o. in its
effort to displace the American Fed
Grafton. With the struggle as tense
as it is between c. I. o. and the A. F.
of L.. attempts to appear neutral will
be difficult.
| fCopyriett 1a36l