Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-05-22
LEWIS IS FACING
POLITICAL CRISIS
Vote OF IL. G. w. U. to Quit
c. ]. 0. Would Be Heavy
Blow to Prestige.
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 2l.-John L.
Lewis, the labor leader. stood tonight
at a crossroad in his political life.
The future power Of his c. I. o.
was involved.
After being rebuffed within a weeks
time in the all-important Pennsylvania
primary election and fought to a
close result In Oregon where the
candidate he supported also had the
aid of some New Deal leaders and
the American Federation Of Labor,
the Industrial Union chief faced the
threat OF loss of one Of the most
powerful units Of his labor organi-
zation.
The Executive Committee Of that
unit, the International Ladies Gar
ment Workers Union, meets IN
Minneapolis on Tuesday to decide
whether or not the l. L. G. w. U. will
break away from the c. I. O. should
the c. I. o. follow its present plan
to establish itself as q permanent
rival to the American Federation OF
Labor.
As the I. L. G. w. U. committee
men prepared for the trip West, none
professed to know what the COM
mittee's decision would be. The MEM
bership was divided into two factions.
Dubinsky Leans Right.
A.. ,aft u,;n0 uopted tn 90
the whole way with Mr.. Lewis. Ihe
other, the right wing. favored break
to an independent stand committed
neither to the A. F. Of L. nor the
c. I. O.
David Dubinsky, the I. L. G. w. US
veteran head, leaned to the right.
Thus far, Mr.. Dubinsky's policies have
prevailed. -,
Loss of Mr.. Dubinsky's union would
be a heavy blow to Mr.. Lewis, one
of the heaviest he could suner,
because: ..
l. The I. L. G. w. U, has 100000
members. and is rated the third
largest OF all the c. l. o. unions.
2. More important than that. II
is one OF four unions that con.
tributed $l.l25,0oO of the sl,500,0oo
Mr.. Lewis got from all his unions
to organize rubber, glass. auto ana
steel workers and run the c. l. y.
The other three are the United Nine
Workers. the Amalgamsted Clothins
Workers and the Automobile WORKERS
2. Some labor leaders OF long stand
ing feel that If Mr.. Dubinsky Qults
the c. I. O.. others will follow.
It would put the A. F. OF L. oen-
nitelv in the ascendency over the c.
l.. O. in New York State. one place
in the Nation where labor has cut a
clearly marked niche for itself IN
politics. With Mr.. Dubinsky, the c. /.
o. is about equal with the A. F. OF L.
Politically, New York is the biggest
State in the country and has the big
gest single voice in picking nominees
for President.
S. Coupled with the election results
in Pennsylvania, it might sharply
lower the bargaining prestige OF Mr..
Lewis and his Labor's Non-Paftisan
League in other contests in the next
few months. For Mr.. Lewis prevl-
ously had lost election fights IN De-
troit. Seattle and few other more
minor spots.
Might Force Peace.
6. It might force Mr.. Lewis into
peace with A. F. Of LIS William Green
on terms more favorable to Mr.. Green
than to Mr.. Lewis.
Peace on terms satisfactory to both
sides is the frank purpose OF Mr..
Dubinsky, whose union is the only one
remaining within the membership OF
both the c. I. O. and the A. F. OF L.
That is why, If the I. L. G. w. u.
does break away from Mr.. Lewis, it
will take an independent stand. hoping
thereby to become the peacemaker
between the two warning factions.
The same purpose is in the mind Of
Sidney Hillman, head OF the ANAL
gamated Clothing Workers. His union
of 10000, tossed out OF the A. F. OF
L. for its c. I. O. affiliation, in con-
vention this week, instructed its Ex-
ecutive Board to continue efforts to-
ward unity between the Lewis and