Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-22
Lewis Seeking
300 Stations for
Political Talk
c. !. O. Leader MAY
Indorse WiIIkie in
Broadcast Friday
BY the Associated Press.

NEW YORK, Oct. 22.-JOhn l.
Lewis apparently is striving for a
tremendous audience of at least
100000 persons in his political
broadcast Friday night-a speech
which will cost perhaps 100000 or
$4,000.
presumably, Mr.. Lewis at that
time will declare his favor for
one of the candidates, with the
advance indications in Washing
ton being that he will support
Wendell L. Willkie. Republican
nominee, despite the fact that
his closest associates among lead
ers of the C. I. o. and the United
Mine Workers already have come
out for Mr.. Roosevelt
All three of the major chains
N. B. c.. c. B. S. and M B. S.-were
asked to reserve 8 to $50 pm. for
Mr.. Lewis talk in a telephone call
from Washington yesterday.
300 Stations in Networks.
The call was made from the C. I. o
chiefs headquarters, but whether
the cost will be paid by Mr.. Lewis
himself. the United Mine Workers
or the c. I. o. no responsible radio
executive in New York could say.
In any event. vast combined
network of approximately 300 sta
tons seems likely.
The networks by custom require
a person purchasing time originally
held by a commercial program to
make substantially the same sta
ton commitment.
Responsible radio survey concerns
say that at 9 pm. on an average
night. with all network stations
linked for a single broadcast. an
audience of upward of 10000 900
persons can be expected.
lis c. b. S. Stations Signed.
You know" said one radio eX-
ecutive. you have to pay the talent
when you take commercial time
like that. and If you think that S
cheap, think again. One political
broadcast that l know of cost the
party $4,000 just to pay off the
talent alone"
At c. B. S. it was learned that
Mr.. Lewis had taken the entire net
work of about lis stations. and
that the contract was signed in the
name of the c. I. o. That means.
C. B. S. said. that as far as their
network was concerned, c. I. o. was
responsible for the cost
The best estimate which could be
obtained on the c. B. S. part of the
cost was about $4,000
Mr.. Lewis himself has said MOTH
ing on his subject The only indica
ton of what he would talk about
was the request for time for a po-
litical broadcast.
Unions Indorse Roosevelt.
Several Of the individual unions
in Mr.. Lewis c. I. o. have Endorsed
President Roosevelt for third term
They include. according to c. I
O.'s New York headquarters, the fol-
lowing:
Amalgamated Clothing Workers
with a claimed membership of $50
900 men and women: the Textile
Workers Union. which lists its mem
bership at about 100000; the United
Automobile Workers. claiming a
membership of 100000, and the
smaller United Paper Plaything and
Novelty Workers. with approx
mately 10000 members.
G. I. o. records in Washington
headquarters also included these
additional affiliated unions which
have Endorsed Mr.. Roosevelt: United
Rubber Workers. Federation of Flat
Glass Workers. Industrial Union OF
Marine and Shipbuilding Workers
and United Retail and Wholesale
Employees.
Other Leaders Take Stand.
In all, a Washington c. l. o
spokesman said, C. 1. o. organiza
lions which have Endorsed the
Roosevelt ticket embrace approx
imately 100000 of the C. I. O.:
total estimated membership Of
100000.
In addition. several heads of other
big C. I. o. unions have personally
made known their support of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. but their union.
have not taken action.
Mr.. Lewis himself has been silent
at least for the record His owr
union, the United Mine Workers
the biggest in the c. 1. o. family
with a claimed 100000 members
has not expressed itself either
Prior to the conventions Mr.. Lewis
criticized the Democratic admins
tration and said Mr.. Roosevelt
(See LEWIS, Page ABB