The Washington times., 1937-03-29
SILENCE ON SIT
STRIKE, POLICY
0FPRESIDENT
By EARL GOODWIN

BY EARL GOODWIN
President Roosevelt's apparent
attitude toward the sit-doWn strike
situation is do nothing" policy
based on Secretary of Labor Per
kins' optimistic statement to the
press that there are no more sit
downs in the offing." The PreSi-
dents restraint in the matter has
cheered the left-wingerS in the Ad-
miniStration, but has given the
conservatives in his train sharp
case of the "Sit-doWn blues"
In spite of a rising public opin-
ion which is measured here as
adverse to tn. sit-down strikes, the
Federal Government will now Of
fiCially adopt a complete handS-off
policy based on the theory that
the sit-doWn is local" treSpaSS,
and as a local matter is in the
domain of the States authority.
This theory will be maintained in
the face of congressional demands
and other public utterances until
and unless the Supreme Court
renders an opinion one way or the
other in the cases under the Wag-
ner Labor Relations Act.
Ignored by Both Sides
That act, which provides labor
with a guarantee that collective
bargaining shall be recognized by
industry and that majority vote
of employees shall establish the
agency they wish to represent
them, has been more or less
ignored in both sides of the Gen
eral Motors strike.
Asked about this failure Of the
Government to use what machin-
cry was available, Secretary Of
Labor Perkins has replied that
the Labor Board sis under a
heavy injunction" from the in
duStry and could not act. How.
ever, observers point out that it
was not enjoined by the General
Motors Corporation, but that the
Committee for Industrial Organi-
zation was not disposed to make
use of the Wagner acts provi-
sions.
The Presidents associates point
out, in the face of a demand
that something be DONE" that
the Government has no specific
authority to rush in and take
hold of a strike just because it
happens to be a large and i'm
portant one.
The Governments machinery
for strike is imposing to the aver.
age person-but actually is only
a set of mediatorS and concilia.
tors who are more or less skilled
in the use of human nature and
diplomacy. There is no power
to make a union do anything; no
power to make a corporation do
anything.
Force Rarely Used
The use of Federal power Is
limited to situation where the
mails, for instance, are inter.
fered with; or the governor calls
for help. These instances have
to do with riots and force, and
not with the settlement of dis
puteS.
President Roosevelt has no in
tention of using or threatening
Federal force, it is definitely
known among his associates. The
fact is also known that the Ad-
miniStration approves of Governor
Murphy's stand in the General
Motors strike of permitting the
court orders to go unheeded rather
than enforce them with brute
strength, deputies clubs and tear
gas bombs, or National Guard bay
onetS. The President is understood
to feel that while a Sit-doWn may
be a treSpaSS, there is no need to
punish a treSpasser with death.
President Roosevelt has been an
noyed considerably by the fact
that Congressional leaders built up
a headline situation over the sit
downs which led to a front page
journalistic demand that some
thing be done" The President
would have liked it If he had been
left out of the news stories; but
the dearth of news from Warm
Springs played into the hands OF
those who wanted to make it ap-
pear that "the President must do
something"
Had the Presidents advisers in
matters Of publicity known what
would be occurring, it is likely that
they would have deluged the news
papers with activities. AS it was,
there was a complete newspaper
build-up which made it appear
the President was rushing back
from Warm Springs to take hold
of the Sit-down strike.
Mr.. Roosevelt, of all people,
does not like to have his crises
made for him on the front pages
of newspapers; on the other hand
he likes to make and control the
crisis himself.
1t is understood he had several
severe things to say to the leaders
Qarge and smalD who permitted
the sit-down situation in Wash
ington to reach the point where
the President was being reSorted
to just a step or two behind the
Situation-and on top Of it.