The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-07-15
THE GREAT
GAME OF
POLITICS.
Copyright by the Baltimore Sun and
reprinted in The Republican by
special permission.
The Lewis Situation
By FRANK R. KENT

lHC LEWIS OALudLlO1t
The full effect of the recent change
in the labor situation on the fortunes
of Mr.. John L. Lewis, head of the C.
I. o. and the man responsible for the
epidemic of strikes with which the
country has been afflicted in the past
nine months, cannot as yet be deter
mined. However, it is clear he has had
a setback, and it is doubtful whether
he will attain again the prestige and
position he had month ago.
***
That is the opinion of the best posted
labor reporters in the country, men in
close touch with the realities of the
labor world and not unfriendly to Mr..
Lewis personally. A month ago he
seemed an irresistible force, waging
a Neapoleonic war against industry,
conquering all along the line, with
White House acquiescence and gov
ernmental support. He was even re-
garded as 1910 Presidential POSSIBLE
ity. Now he does not seem any of those
things. He seems more like a labor
leader who Overplayed his hand and
could not control his own aides. Sew
eral untoward things happened to Mr..
Lewis which taken separately perhaps
would have done him slight damage
but combined to do a great deal. The
journalistic speculation as to how
much he has Slipped" widely printed
in the last week, is significant. That is
the sort of stuff just as harmful to a
labor politician as any other kind.
The contributing causes for the sit
uation in which he now finds homself
are clear The most important was
that with Mr.. Roosevelt personally en-
couraging him by White House con-
ference comment; with, as was pro-
claimed by his aides, "four depart
ments of the Government fighting on
our Sides; with the Governor of Penn
sylvania an open ally-with all that,
Mr.. Lewis took a licking in the steel
strike. The reason he lost was be-
cause public opinion swung heavily
against him and the C. l. o. all over
the country, and the reason for the
swing was the demonstration of his
inability to keep his contracts and
control his followers.
***
1t is stupid to thing that Mr.. Lewis
acquiesced in the breaking of C. I. o.
contracts or sanctioned the 200 and
more strikes in violation of their
agreement, which occurred in General
Motors plants. He is far too intelligent
not to realize their damaging effect
upon him and his cause. The plain fact
is, he did not have control. Some of
his aides do not take orders. His Or
ganization expanded to a degree where
he could not manage it. A state of con-
fusion exists within the C. I. o. and
the radical and violent leaders are in
the ascendant. 1t is perfectly true, as
General Johnson, an avowed personal
friend of Mr.. Lewis, declared a few
weeks ago, that while Mr.. Lewis is
anything but Communistic himself,
there have come to the front in his
organization men who are recognized
and open Communists.
***
Sensing all this, shocked by the link
with the White House, and resent
ing interference with the fright to
work." the great middle class of the
country reacted against Mr.. LEWIS and
his c. I. o. in quite unmistakable
way. First, the Governors of Ohio
and Pennsylvania, hearing from the
people, concluded that the troops they
had called out were to be used to pro-
tect men who wanted to work rather
than to close the plants, which GER
tainly seemed the original idea. Next,
the Federal Administration trimmed.
Nine. Perkins discovered that the sit
down strike was not good thing and
Mr.. Roosevelt went so far as to say,
"a plague on both your houses" That
didn't mean much, but as it was the
first neutral word that had come from
the White House it had it's effect.
The net result of these various de-
velopments has been decidedly weak
ening to Mr.. Lewis. The best evidence
is in the feeble, cautious but none the
less clear efforts of the Administra-
tion to pull little away from him. So
long as he was the conquering hero it
was with him zone hundred per cent
AS soon as he seemed definitely on the
wrong side of public opinion-and not
before-Mr. Roosevelt got neutral and
Miss Perkins hit the sit-down strike
Both were very late. 1t isn't human
that Mr.. Lewis should not resent this
and his friends make no secret of their
feeling, but there isn't anything he car
do about it. Certainly, publicly to re,
mind Mr.. Roosevelt of that $500,00C