The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-02


Lewis bitterly resented this
pressure, and it is no secret among
his intimates that he developed
considerable personal heat against
Roosevelt for needing" him. At
their last conference, several days
before Lewis entrained for the
miners convention, he staged an
angry scene.
The President has had three
private talks with John L. in the
last six weeks, and each time he
has quietly brought up the ques-
ton of labor peace, despite Lewis
ovious resentment. Several days
before the last meeting, Roosevelt
conferred with ALL President Will
liam Green and told him he
thought the time had come to
make another serious peace eff
fort. Green said the AFL was
ready to resume parleying, but
doubted that Lewis wanted peace.
Later Roosevelt told Lewis that
he had Green's assurance of the
AFT.'s readiness to renew nego-
tiations, and asked him to cooper
ate. But John L. hit the CELL
ing.
He declared that he was sign
ing no blank checks, that the
AFL knew his terms and had re-
fused to accept them, that he
saw nothing to be gained by re-
Stunning futile palavers that would
lead only to more recriminationS.
Lewis also made it clear that he
was fed up with being sum-
moned to the White House and
prodded about labor peace.
Roosevelt kept his temper but
persisted in his demand that the
two rival camps make new har-
Inony effort.
1.-THE country wants peace"
he said quietly, "the rank-and-
file of both organizations want
peace and the labor movement
needs peace. It's something that
must be done, John"
That terminated the talk. Grim
ly, Lewis departed.
NOTE-Strongest influences be-
hind Roosevelt's persistence are
two top-flight labor leaders: DAN
Tobin, head of the powerful AFL
teamsters' union; and Sidney Hill
man. president Of the Amalgamat-
ed Clothing Workers and CO.
founder of the CLIO. Both are in
constant touch with the Presi-
dent and answering in urging
that he keep after Lewis and
Green.
AT their last conference several
weeks ago, Tobin told Roosevelt
he was going to demand that the
AFL executive council. now meet
ing in Miami, take definite steps
toward new peace parley.
NAVAL SECRETARIES
When the Secretary of the Navy
is twisting the lock Of hair over
his right temple, he is in a medi-
tative mood and not to be dis
turbed.
Lewis Compton learned this
about Charles Edison when each
was one grade lower than he Is
today. When Edison was as
sistant secretary, Compton. then
his aide, used to open the door
cautiously to see II Edison was
busy. If the fingers of the
right hand were twisting that
lock Of hair, Compton quietly
shut the door.
Today Compton is assistant Sec
rotary. He occupies the desk and
Office formerly used by Edison,
who has moved into the secre-
tary's suite. And now the door,
peeping act is reversed.
Edison, who has a whimsical
sense OF hulnor, comes to Comp
toms door, as Compton himself
used to do, knocks gently, and
peeps in to see If his assistant
secretary Is too busy to see him!
INDICTED DEMOCRATS
When you balance up all the
income tax and criminal prosecu-
tons brought by the New Deal, it
will be seen that about as many
Democrats have been hit as Re-
publicans.
Some Of the biggest Republic
cans in the country have been
prosecuted, such as Andrew Mel
lon and Charles e. Mitchell on in
come taxes, and Richard Whitney
for stock market manipulation.
On the Democratic side the
New Deal has prosecuted Boss
Pendergast Of Kansas City, the
Louisiana machine, and Is now
investigating the McNutt ma
chine IN Indiana.