The Washington times., 1937-11-26
Lewis Challenges Capital

TNEIE interview with John L. Lewis which Eleanor
Patterson has published in the Washington Herald
this morning is challenge and an invitation which
business cannot overlook.
Mr. Lewis the most powerful labor leader in any
country the most feared by many American indus
trialists but who is known among hardboied coal
operators for the honesty of his word comes for
ward with the idea that business and labor may do as
much or more than the Government in curing current
economic ills if they will cooperate.
'We are making tremendous strides in the realm of
economic science inventions and RADIO" Mr.. Lewis
points out ''Our most successful industries employ
Concroto Offor highly paid staff of scientists to
do nothing but work out and
~ CO''uOO'"e patent new inventions. But the
greatest task of mankind is to learn to enjoy rational
relationship with each other
''What have learned long ago in the United Mine
Workers is that the miners cannot make money unless
the mine owners are making money. And think very
large percentage of the mine not only share
that view but will testify to our willingness in fact,
our anxiety, to cooperate with them''
And Mr.. Lewis went on to cite chapter and in
which industry had aided labor and labor had aided
industry to the mutual benefit of both
This, we repeat, is both challenge and invita-
tion which business cannot overlook.
Here is a concrete offer of collaboration from the
most progressive most powerful labor leader IN the
country We would like to know what Mr.. Tom Girdler
thinks of this7 And Mr.. Ford? And Mr. Stettinus to
whose U. S. Steel Corporation Mr. Lewis gives credit
Now may be the moment when business and labor,
having knocked their heads the stone wall of illwl
for three years. will recognize the futy of and do
what the New Deal and all its labor boards have failed
to do establish real cooperation between capital and
labor
Mr. Lewis has made genuine gesture The next
move is up to capital.
There are other extremely important points which
Mr. Lewis makes in his interview. One of them is that
where warship building is concerned the Roosevelt ad-
Nnyy D;oroourJo ministration throws in the ash
can the labor principles which it
0"OO' ''''F has set up for private industry
Specifically, he mentioned the Walsh-Healy act which
the Navy has publicly criticized hamperng the pro-
ducton of plate and the Electric Boat Corpora
ton, which has trampled upon the Wagner labor dis
putes act in its manufacture of submarines and been
allowed to get away with it.
It seems to US that Mr.. Lewis is right about this
Were the nation at war; there ght be excuse for cast
ing aside labor restrictions But are not at war and
the gentleman in the White House, who is supposed to
know what his admiras are doing assured the nation
in his last fireside chat how rrevocably he was for
peace.
The labor Standards which Mr. Lewis cites were
passed by Congress at the nstgation of Mr. Roosevelt
himself have been approved by the Supreme Court,
and Mr.. Roosevelt's pet department, the Navy,
should be the last to sabotage them.
Especallv to be criticized is the Navv's partialitv
toward the Electric Boat Corporation This is the firm,
which, having virtual monopoly submarine patents,
was exposed by the Senate Munitions Committee as
having sold those patents to Japan solely for the benefit
of few extra dividends. Now the Navy further in
creases those dividends by trampng upon the Wagner
act.
Mr.. Lewis has raised other important points in
criticism of the New Deals administration while pras-
ing its aims. In doing so, he put his finger-in our
HOusecLponinn opnion-on the sorest spot in all
n of Mr.. Roosevet's regime, and one
A'oCO""'e''"e" that he should be able to cure
more easily than the basic economic ills of the Nation
We have always contended that what the New Deal