Evening star., 1941-01-03

sented by the Congress of Indus
trial Organizations.
Lewis himself is still powerful in
the C. I. o. and is reported laying
plans for political action in the fu-
ture. His daughter. Miss Kathryn
Lewis, is not only active in the
Save America First appeasement
group, but has recently been report
ed in New York City working
through Sophie Minkin and Saul
Mills of the Greater New York In
dustrial Union Council.
Inside the C. I. o. itself. John
Brophy-who was stymied by Lee
Pressman and the left-Wing clique
around Lewis-has been brought
back into power by Phil Murray as
director of the Industrial Union
Councils. This means that control
of the political activities of c. I. o.
in the States and big cities has been
taken away from Pressman and
that the anti-COmmunist wing IS
gaining power.
Murray Ignores Cliques.
Murray's own policy is to ignore
officially the existence of the cliques
and feuds BY which the c. I. o. was
convulSed during the last year OF
Lewis leadership. When he first
visited headquarters the new chair
man said that he knew there were
no cliuueS there and that he would
listen to all problems and that they
would all find the door open. He
added. of course. I am not going to
listen to any love troubles or stories"
So everybody is walking delicately
and being very, very nice to their
bosom enemies.
Generally speaking, there IS a
growing sense of relief inside the
G. I. o. at the passing of the hys-
terra and emotionalism which char
acterized the John L. Lewis chair
manship A common comment, even
among some of Lewis most ardent
supporters, is. oh, we'll. maybe it's
time for dramatics to stop"
Evidence of what is meant by
"dramatics' is the recent senSa-
tional collapse of Ellis Searles.
editor of the United Mine Workers
Journal. after an interview with
Lewis. Searles had left his own
Office in high spirits but on his
return from seeing Lewis collapsed
and fell to the floor. When Lewis
later visited Searles at the latter's
apartment in the Wardman Park
Hotel the editor was so distraught
that Lewis left and has not since
returned. After a distinguished
career in journalism and 20 years
with Lewis, Searles has been de-
stroyed by the feuds inside the
C. I. o. organization. While no one
knows exactly what had happened
to bring on the collapse, it is rumored
in labor circles that Searles wanted
to give Phil Murray play in the
United Mine Workers Journal. in
stead of devoting it all to eulogy OF
John L. Lewis.
Another Headache.
At the same time Murray has an
other headache in the form of oppo-
sition among liberals and sup
porters of the labor movement to
the activities Of Allan Haywood.
Haywood, who is one of Lewis
staunchest advocates, is director Of
organization. Murray recently made
him director of local industrial
unions and administrator of the
Federal Workers Union. Many
people who want to support Murray
feel that it is impossible for them
to do so as long as Haywood plays
an important part in the C. I. o.
The fact is that the politics of
reconciliation, whether in the DEM
ocratic party or the c. l. O., place a
greater strain on tempers and loyal
ties than do the politics of contro-
versy. Since Lewis went too far in
the direction of the Communist
party line, the anti-Lewis faction
naturally desires to swing with the
pendulum to the opposite policy,
Just as the New Dealers, after Jim
Farley's performance at Chicago,
wished to purge the Democratic Ma
tional Committee of the Farleyites.
But Murray is an able man of high
principles and great calmness and
common sense, and in the face Of
the national emergency deserves
more support than he has been
getting from many of those who
consider themselves his friends.
(Released by Consolidated News Features
IncD