Evening star., 1940-02-11
Lewis Proposes A. F: |. Mercer
Assai|s President Before Youths;
Roosevelt Attacks SovietInvasi
C.I. O. Chief Saws
He Won't Seek
Any Labor Office
(Tert OF Mr.. LetDis' Address, Page
A-6.J
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.

BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.
A direct proposal that the two
warning factions of labor meet in
joint peace" convention here on
March IS and vote on the question
of affiliating the entire membership
of the Congress of Industrial Or
ganizations with the American Fed
Grafton of Labor came yesterday
afternoon in surprise move from
John L. Lewis.
posal as a challenging offer to Pres
ident Roosevelt, the sincerity Of
whose efforts to bring about labor
peace he had questioned earlier.
To remove one probable obstacle to
the success of the proposed plan,
Mr.. Lewis offered to eliminate him.
self by declaring, Il will not be a
candidate for any office in the
united federation"
His offer to "end the labor war"
by the vote to merge brought roar
from 1900 clamorous delegates of
the National Youth Congress, before
whom he was speaking
Mr.. Lewis described his proposal
for joint convention as "a practical
plan in all simplicity" adding that
lone roll call on that day will elm
inate the division in the house
of labor"
Sarcastic Statements.
Repeatedly during his address the
c. I. O. leader, who has drawn far
apart from his one-time close White
House association, flung sarcastic
barbs at statements made by the
President earlier in the day before
the Youth Congress, whose dele
gates stood in steady rain on the
White House lawn for half an hour.
His criticisms of Mr.. Roosevelt, es-
pecially the Presidents admonitions
against resolutions" and opposition
to governmental aid to Finland,
brought cheers and stamping of feet
from the youthful delegates, who
crowded the Departmental Audi
torium in the Labor Building, over
flowing into the corridors and out
side into the street.
Loud booing and scattered kissing
from unsympathetic delegates ass.
sembled on the south lawn of the
White House had greeted Nr. Roose-
velt's plea for aid to Finland ana
his criticisms OF "thoughtless" res
olutions When the President, In
his address. referred to the stand
taken by a New York council of the
American Youth Congress against
loans to Finland the delegates
cheered their loudest. It was like an
exultant shout. According to police
count, 4,066 young men and women
huddled in the cold rain to hear the
President.
That the gap between the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Lewis may have be-
come too wide to bridge was indi-
Gated by the general tone of the la
Dor leaders repeated references to
the Chief Executive. Especially bit
Ing was his allusion to Mr.. Roose-
velt's recent remarks that Mr
Lewis was blocking efforts to nego-
tiate peace.
Lewis IlaH In 6Fle1.
In his own words, the Lewis plan
to bring about an immediate peace"
was given briefly as follows:
Il propose that on the 18th day
Of March, next, that special con-
vention Of the Congress of Indus
trial Organizations and a special
convention of the American Fedora
ton Of Labor be assembled in Con-
stitution Hail. in Washington, D. c..
one convention on each side of the
aisle, that the question to be voted
on by that convention on the same
day shall be-:
Resolved. That the Congress of
Industrial Organizations in all of
Its units and all of it's membership
this day become a part of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, and that
charters of affiliation be granted by
the American Federation of Labor to
each unit of the Congress of Indus
trial Organizations, and that, fur
ther, all question of detail in the
relationship of the two organiza-
tions hitherto existing shall be taken
up for later consideration in such
fashion as the joint convention may
decide
Just that" Mr.. Lewis summed up
There is a plan to end the labor
war and have labor peace in Amer
lea on the afternoon of March 49,"
All the questions of detail, over
tapping jurisdiction or other points
Of friction, he said, can be disposed
Of within the machinery set up by
the united federation without the
public being troubled, or the politi-
clans being driven to distraction.
without any American being in
cOnvenienced.
Modification of 1888 Proposal.
"And as an evidence of my good
faith will assure Mr.. William Green
that I will not be q candidate in
that convention for any ofiice In the
united federation. There Is q prac-
tical plan in all simplicity. with no
sinister attachments, and an offer
See YOUTH CONGRESS. Page AS.