The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-07-23

political events of the day.
 BY RODNEY BUTCHER
 Democrat Washington
 Correspondent b
 Washington, July 23.-There Is g great battle between labor and cap- ital-along traditional but broaden ing lines-but there Is also a great fight for power between labor and labor.
 For a year and half John L. Lewis and other aggressive chiefs of the c. I. o. have contested with William Green and conservative craft union heads in the A. F. of L. for supremacy in the labor movement. Today Lewis claims a larger membership than Greens. But the c. I. O.-A. r. of L. fight becomes hotter week by week.
 The "Thlrd Movement" The c. I. o. must contend sorne- times with another labor move ment varying in strength from place to place, in the form of workers who don't want to join unions. "Scabs," they're called by strikers. Loyal workers" say employers.
 And the c. I. 0. has still an- other fight on its, hands with labor -those green, undisciplined work CTS in its ranks who have been pulling unauthorized strikes, espe- cially in the auto industry.
 Lewis is perhaps the most forceful and certainly one of the shrewdest labor leaders of today. He is Labor Leader Number One now because he used MIRA and Section "A to build his United Mine Workers into the strongest A. F. of L. union, because he knows how to make strategic alli- ances with other labor leaders and politicians, because he has been considerably aided by the New Deal and. Roosevelt's desire for a strong labor movement, and be- cause long years of experience have taught him the tricks of the game as well as the science of or- ganizing large masses of workers.
 Lewis Rise
 Whether this shaggy-browed, leonine man has presidential am- bitions is pure gueSswork. Re- marks he has made privately indi- cate he is shrewd enough to know that his chances there are nil. But ,here are no limits to his ambi- | ion to organize labor and exert power. Green brightly predicted with the birth of NRA that the A. F. of L. would soon have 25,- 100000 members. Lewis :s trying o make that dream come true Or his own movement.
 Lewis had always been known IS republican conservative. He -ose in the miners union by hard boiled tactics - although he has | achieved charm, education. and | some culture in the art of hunor- ,us conversation. Early in 1883 ,nly 25 per cent of American coal vas dug under contract. Today nearly all of 1t Is dug by union nen and the U. M. w., which had ut 100000 members-many not ,aying dues - has over 50o,0oo members and 6 war chest of at east $2,00o000.
 Ready to Wade In
 The Wagner act found Lewis, Sidney Hillman, and few other eaders prepared to wade into or- the mass production in- lustries while the A. F. of L. still alked about 1t.
 Steel, automobiles, rubber, and ,ther unorganized industries, with heir semi-skilled and unskilled workers as well as the skilled, were c. I. O.'s original chosen ield. Today the 0. I. O. claims 100000 members and disputes a similar A. F. of L. claims by say- ng the latter includes many lnions which have since come lnder the 0. I. o. banner.
 The A. P. of L. turned distinctly conservative under Gompers after exposure of the McNamara dyna- niters and indictment of many ,fncials and members of A. P. of [. unions in 1910. Membership dropped from the fedora tion's previous high of about 100000 70 half as many.
 A: F. of L. unions always have ,een involved in jurisdictional disputes which turned employers against them, and Greens biggest lob has been to deal with disputes between factions and rival unions. There was no organization of production industries be- ,ause that was expensive. difficult, md likely to run into j,irisdic- .ional fights.
 c. I. O.s March
 Today some A. F. of L. unions Ire quitting to join 0. l. O., others Ire being kicked out, some are helping employers beat c. I. O. inionS, some are helping 0. l. o. inions win strikes, and some are 'ising up from the ashes of com- oany unions with the same officers md the blessing of employers. Most international unions stand pat.
 The picture b mived, but to fate 0. I. o. has been on the winning battles Up to the .ecert strike against four inde-