The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-17

Dlalu Cdlk1I1R CO HIS 161kOW l
 Behind the scenes, Hillman has been on the warpath over Ford ever since the Army, with the ap- proval of Defense Commissioner William KnudSen, awarded Ford a contract for 4,O00 airplane en- zines the day after election-and thereby put Hillman,. who knew nothing about the transaction, on the spot.
 At that time Hillman was in the midst of bitter CIO fight to oust John L. Lewis, who used the granting of defense orders to Wagner Act violators as one of his chief arguments against the President. Also embarrassed by the contract were R. J. Thomas, president of the United Auto workers, and other union officers who had resisted Lewis pressure and gone down the line for Roose- welt.
 Hillman raised the roof about the Ford order. He was told that the need for plane engines was pressing, that until new plants were in operation, the government was compelled to get engines any, where it could. Hillman accepted the explanation, but warned that the matter was not to be consid- cred precedent. Also, he quietly set about trying to effect an agree ment between Ford and the Auto Workers.
 Then, last week, he suddenly discovered that again unknown to him, the Army had given Ford an- other order. This time Hillman did no informal. man-to-man pro- testing. He demanded an official meeting of the Defense Commis- sion, and forced a formal, on-the- record showdown, The discussion was very Illuminating.
 DIVIDED COMMISSIONERS
 Knudsen declared that the sec ond order actually was not new one, merely an addition to the original to round it out. But then he went on to make it clear that personally he was opposed to us- ing the Defense Commission as a labor act enforcement agency. The former General Motors head held that output is. the only considera- ton and it is not up to the Com- mission to be concerned about la- bor law violations.
 HilIman, long time head of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, insisted that the Commission. as one branch of the government, could not consistently do business with law violat0rs under fire by another branch of the govern ment. Also that labor had the right to demand that recipients of defense orders be required to abide by the laws of the land.
 Most of the other commissioners took middle position, which can be summed up as supporting Hill- man wherever 1t is possible to ob- tain the needed supplies without doing business with @ labor act violator.
 No final decision on the Ford order was reached at the meeting. But HiIIman clearly is not through with the auto maker or the labor issue, and probably will take both matters directly to Roosevelt.
 NOTE-The National Labor Re- lations Board has rendered six de- cisions against Ford, one of which already has been upheld by a U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
 DIES BLACKLISTED
 Representative Martin Dies, who has done lot of blacklisting, has himself been put on a blacklist.
 He has been barred from taking out any books from the Washing ton Public Library because of re- fusal to pay a fine of 80 cents for keeping books beyond the two weeks period. The wordy Texan withdrew 'They Shall Not Want" and T Went to Pitt College" and the Library hud very difficult time getting the books back.
 ELECTION POST -MORTEM
 Four leaders in the recent presi- dential battle had a frank post mortem while waiting to testify before the grand jury impaneled by District Attorney Maurice Mil- ligan to investigate campaign con- tributions.
 The group in the anteroom con- sisted of Oren Root, young head of the Willkie Clubs; John Hanes, one-time Under Secretary of the Treasury, and Lewis Douglas, for mer Budget Director, who organ ized the Democrats for Willkie: and Gene Casey, executive direc-