Evening star., 1936-11-27
The Cold Shoulder.

The American Federation af Labor has
turned cold shoulder to proposals that
a new, labor political party be organized
In this country. 1t prefers to continue
its old non-partisan political policy, pre-
senting its members with the records of
regards organized labor, and leaving
them to choose whom they will support.
This, the A. F. of L. maintains, is prefer
able to setting up an independent labor
party, which would place labor candi-
dates for office in the field. Its attitude
has been made known again through
overwhelming votes in the federation's
national convention in Tampa, where
ten proposals for the formation of a
labor party were shouted down.
In its attitude toward an independent
political labor party the federation has
taken another shot at important leaders
of the Committee on Industrial Organi-
cation, if not at the rival organization
itself. John L. Lewis, president of the
head of the c. I. O., played prominent
part In "Labor'S Non-Partisan League"
The league was set up during the recent
national political campaign to help re-
elect President Roosevelt An offshoot
from the league was the American Labor
party, organized as a political party in
New York State. This party was de-
signed to become nucleus for the for
nation of national labor party, if such
a course were deemed wise. Lewis
Sidney Hillman and Major George Berry,
League, frequently explained during the
campaign that while they believed it to
be in the interest of labor at this time
to bring about the reelection of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, they were looking for
ward to 1910. Four years hence, they
strongly intimated, labor might not be
willing to 60 along with the Democratic
party-or the Republican party. 1t be-
hooved them, they said, to look to the
future.
The decision of the American Fedora
ton of Labor to have nothing to do with
an independent labor party is no help
to those leaders like Lewis and Hillman
and Berry who, at least, have been play
ing with that idea. The question of a
new political party may be dropped for
the time being, however, while the c. I. O.
engages in struggle for supremacy in
the field of organized labor with the
American Federation of Labor. That is
the immediate battle. 1t is a contest
which Lewis must first win over his fore
most antagonist, William Green, presi-
dent of the federation, if Lewis is to
make headway in his political plans
Those plans, it has more than once been
rumored, include presidential nomina-
tion for Lewis himself, in 1910, or per-
haps 1914.
Lewis has been counting on the aid
Of the Roosevelt administration in his
contest with the federation. During
the campaign Lewis and his C. I. O.,
generally speaking, turned in without
reservation for the reelection of the
President. How the Roosevelt admins
tration would look upon the creation of
an independent labor party is another
matter. 1t is true the Roosevelt leaders
did not balk at all when the American
Labor party was organized in New York
State last Summer and backed the same
presidential electors as the Democrats.
Hillman and Dubinsky were placed on
the Democratic list of presidential
electors in the State, to facilitate joint
action.
President Roosevelt has promised addi-
tional labor legislation at the coming
session of Congress. The American Feds
Grafton OF Labor is demanding it, and so
are the leaders of the c. I. o. If labor
fails to get all it demands, or even if it
gets the major part of its demands, what
will be labor's attitude toward an inde-
pendent political party? No one can
say with assurance, although it may be
-