Evening star., 1940-11-23
|C.l. 0. Session S End
Forecasts Drive on
Labor Act vioIators
Campaign to Organize
Ford Plants Assured;
Murroy Takes Helm
BY J. A. FOX,
Star Stan Correspondent.

Star stan Correspondent
ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., Nov. 23.-
Exhorted to challenge your enc
mics and prosecute your policies"
the Congress of Industrial Organiza-
tions today set out under the guild
ance of Philip Murray, 53-year-old
product of the coal mines. who yes
terday succeeded to the leadership
welded by John L. Lewis since the
c. L. o. sprang from a revolt in
the American Federation of Labor
five years ago.
The Scottish-born Murray, long
time power in the United Mine
Workers and head of the c. I. o.
steel unionizing drive, sounded the
rallying call to his associates as
the third constitutional convention
ended here early last night. For
his part he promised to administer
this organization in the spirit of
fairness, in the spirit of honesty, in
an effort to weld together the think
ing processes of a great movement"
A little later he went on the air
TO declare that 4s"the strength and
discipline of C.. I. o. unions have
substituted industrial peace and sta
bility for industrial warfare in the
great plants producing defense ma
terials," and that in carrying out
| this vital task the C. I. o. is "the
Nations only guarantee that the
miserable failure of the last year
will not be repeated"
Two Prime Objectives.
Two major objectiveS were before
the c. l. o. as Mr.. Murray took
over the reins. OF first importance,
in the minds of the membership,
convention developments made
clear, is the campaign to deny Gov
ernment contracts to firms violat-
ing-or ignoring-the National La
Dor Relations Act.
Next in order and not far behind
is the organizing campaign in Ford
Motors-recipient of a s122 10000
national defense contract, Incl
dentally-which has progressed to
the point where shortly 'if Ford
wants a strike he can get it," for
refusing to treat with the United
Automobile Workers, the conven-
ton was told by U. A. w. leaders
yesterday.
Once again the C. I. o. is calling
on President Roosevelt to issue an
executive order that will prevent
labor law violators from getting
Government business, a proposal
that previously has been rejected.
In new tack in the Ford cam
paign the convention yesterday
charged in a resolution that the
Ford Motor Co. has in recent years
given employment and harbored in
its Dearborn plant avowed Nazi
agents, whose activities have been
subversive of the best interests of
our Nation" and demanded a Fed
eral probe into this condition and
''of the relationship between officers
of the Ford Motor Co. and German
industrial combines"
No Gesture Toward Roosevelt.
The convention probably will rank
as unique gathering of labor in
this era, for throughout the five
friendly gesture to the Roosevelt
administration.
The studied refusal to make any
acknowledgment of the Roosevelt
program of social legislation, while
at the same time engaging in a
drumfire of attack on the adminis-
tration because of the defense con-
tract issue, brought on a protest by
delegate from the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers, but his speech
was headed off by point of order
1t had been generally expected
that President Roosevelt would send
a message to the C. I. o. conven-
ton, particularly since he greeted
the American Federation of Labor
in New Orleans and urged unity
between the rival labor camps. AS
developments demonstrated, how
ever, a message of that nature
/ would have been superfluous in the
light of the strong anti-peace senti-
ment among the high command of
the G. I. O., which was emphasized
anew yesterday when President
Murray, taking Office, condemned
efforts to bring about a shotgun
peace"
The aloof attitude of the dele
gates toward President Roosevelt, it
iy, Infa 10
Mr.. Lewis, who unsuccessfully urged
labor to defeat the President. The
convention heard an echo of this
episode when Mr.. Lewis spoke in
appreciation for an illumined scroll,
signed by each of the delegates, as
the convention concluded.
Emphasizes Right Intention"
"And now" he said after voicing
thanks for the tribute, "if there are
any among you whose confidence
in me has been shaken by anything
In the recent past I can only hope
that some day you may come to the
conclusion that whether he was
wrong or whether he was right
meaning myself-at least his heart
was right, and he intended to make
a contribution by saying what he
believed and still believes to be the
truth"
While the last campaign found
the c. I. o. leadership split because
of the Lewis bolt to the candidacy
of Wendell L. Willkie, the conven-
ton yesterday declared in resolu-
ton that the world crisis makes it
incumbent on labor to find com
mon program of action with all
other progressive elements in this
country and the world abroad" and
dedicated the c. I. o. ito full par
ticipation in the political life of
this country, uniting its strength
and resources with all other liberal
and progressive forces"