Evening star., 1939-10-31
King Asks Report
On Lewis Charges
OF Third-Term Boom
Labor Leader Says Two
U. S. Officials Organize
Secret Conference

A charge by John L. Lewis that
assistants of two cabinet members
had tried to engineer a Western
conference to start a third-te term
boom brought from Senator King,
Democrat, of Utah demand today
for a full report on the officials
activities.
In letter last night to Gov. Cul-
bert L. Olson of California, Mr..
Lewis declared that a January meet
ing of progressive leaders" in II
Western States had been arranged
by Norman N. Littell, Assistant At
torney General, and Marshall E.
Dlmock, Second Assistant Secretary
of Labor.
Mr.. Lewis said Labor's Nonpar-
tisan League, which he heads, would
have no part in the conference be-
cause, among other things, labor had
been excluded from making sug-
gestions for legitimate program"
Friends said, however, that Mr..
Lewis letter indicated nothing about
his views on another term for Presi-
dent Roosevelt. The C. I. o. leader
expressed doubt that the President
has knowledge of or would approve
the plans of those overzealous indi-
viduals responsible for this pro-
gram"
Raises Hatch Act Question.
Mr.. Lewis also raised the question
OF whether Federal employees could
legally organize a political gather
ing under the Hatch law.
Mr.. Littell and Mr.. Dimock said
today they had agreed to let any
statement regarding the proposed
conference come from the organ
izers," one of whom is Philip Dunno
OF Los Angeles, provisional secre-
tary. Mr.. Dunno, who was in WASH
lngton not long ago, is reported to
be in California again.
Mr.. Dimock said, however, that
the Lewis letter had been in error
in one respect-he and Mr.. Littell
are not engaging in political activ-
lty in violation of the Hatch Act. In
this connection, they said, they could
not be doing SO, for the Hatch Act
exempts from its terms members of
the cabinet and assistant secre-
taries.
THE conference is a spontaneous
growth in the West" said Mr..
Dimock. Mr.. Littell and 1 are not
the organizers. In fact, there is no
organization. A group of individuals
got together and planned for the
conference. The principal interest
lies in the West. Mr.. Littell is from
the State of Washington, and while
was appointed from Illinois to my
present Office I am a native of Cali
fornia. The group interested in the
conference extends as far East as
Colorado"
Silent as to Aims.
Asked whether the conference was
being organized to promote a third
term for President Roosevelt, as
charged by Mr.. Lewis, Mr.. Dimock
would neither confirm nor deny,
saying he was leaving all comment
on the purposes of the conference
to come from the "organizers.
Senator King told reporters he
would write at once to Attorney
General Murphy and Secretary of
Labor Perkins for complete infor-
nation on the activities of Mr.. Lit
tell and Mr.. Dimock.
Il am amazed that Mr.. Lewis, a
contributor to the last Democratic
campaign, should bring this out, )"
Senator King declared, adding:
This time Mr.. Lewis is right"
The c. I. O. chieftain said that
one OF his reasons for opposing the
conference was "the slight to Sen
ator Burton K. Wheeler and other
great liberals in the West who have
not been consulted and who are
(See THIRD TERM, Page A-8D