Evening star., 1938-06-12
BY CRESTON B. MULLINS.

LABOR Once was hailed with en-
thusiasm in Washington last week,
but in the background the schism in Amer
lean organized labor cast a shadow over
the unity of support which he will need
from the workers of this country for
successful administration.
The difference between an unsuccessful
Administrations and a successful one is the
difference between mere fulfillment of the
routine administrative duties which fall on
the director OF the Office and accomplish
ment of worldwide acceptance of the work
of the l. L. o. and its annual conferences,
as we'll as the infusion into world labor of
the ideals of social justice and democracy
for which the United States has come to
stand
1t Is this question which arises: Whether
Mr.. Winant will be limited to pure admin
istration or whether he will be able to rally
about the l. L. O. all the forces for better
ment of labor's working conditions and
strengthening of the crumbling structure Of
democracy.
For him to become a constructive force
for the realization of the l. L. Os ideals
Of social justice as an alternative for war
and revolution, the whole AND solid
backing of American labor is necessary.
Without it the prestige of American direc-
torship of the I. L. o. disappears.
Labor Warfare Is Threat.
The bitter warfare raging between the
American Federation of Labor and the
Committee for Industrial Organization
seriously compromises the prospects with
which Mr.. Winant assumes his new duties
this year, threatening to nullify the pow
erful influence he might exert to mend the
fences of the world labor movement.
The issue of which the domestic con-
f1ict may be carried into the international
sphere is which of the rival labor organiza-
tions-A. F. of l.. or C. 1. O.-is to be
recognized as representative of American
labor at Geneva.
Throughout the four years of American
membership in the l. L. o. nominees of the
A. F. of L. have been appointed labor dele
gates for the United States at the annual
conferences in Geneva, and Robert Watt,
director of social security policy of the A.
F. Of L., is participating in the present con-
ference as the spokesman for American
labor.
For the moment, at least John L. Lewis
and his c. I. o. are disposed to yield to
this international recognition Of William
Green's organization, and is supporting the
administration of Mr.. Winant in the I. L. o.
and the work of its conferences.
But there are straws in the wind indi-
eating this will not always be so, and that
before many months the c. I. O., which al
ready claims a greater membership than
Mr.. Green's group will assert a broader
demand for representation Of organized
American labor at Geneva.
Only in Advisory Capacity.
At the current conference the C. T. o. is
participating only in an advisory capacity
in the persons of A. D. Lewis, John L. Lewis
brother and international representative of
the United Mine Workers of America, and
Hyman Bloomberg, vice president of the
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America.
The other four labor advisers are all A. F.
of L, officials Marion Hedges, director of re-
search of the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers; George Googe, Southern
representative of the A. F. of L.. Phil E.
zeigler, business manager of the Brother
hood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, and
Joseph E. Cohen. chairman Of the Legisla-
tive Committee of the Typographical Union
of Philadelphia.
Preparations next winter for the 1899
I. L. O. conference are likely to provide
the occasion for the showdown as to which
of the two labor federations is to speak
for American labor in international mat
tiers, for the chief subject of considera-
ton then will be the revision of the 1881
coal convention to apply the 40-hour week
to coal miners throughout the world.
Mr. Lewis, who rose to leadership of the
C. I. o. through the presidency of the
United Mine workers of America, the DOM
inant mine labor union in this country, will
not be likely to accept as the American
delegate the nominee of the A. F. Of L.,
which has only a small mine union OF its
own, the Progressive Mine Workers OF
America, an Illinois organization
A demand from him that the labor dele
gate be representative of the c. I. o. and
its United Mine Workers will precipitate a