Imperial Valley press., 1941-11-13
CLOS FIFTH COLUMN
IN THE GOVERNMENT

tN tuE GOtEkNmENI
Wholesale resignation of Go members
from federal defense agencies because
the National Defense Mediation Board
would not support closed shop demand
in eastern soft coal mines proves as moth
ing else could how tragically mistaken
has been the labor policy Of the Ne"
Deal administration.
The designations make II abundaUtiN
apparent that the CIO has maliciouSlH
insinuated a fifth column into the Wy
body of our government. There is i
word for men who accept positions ot
responsibility with any national govern
ment-whethcr it is the American govern
ment or any other-and then give greater
allegiance to some other orEanlZaGol1
The word is TRAITORS"
We think no American has tn" r.ght
to say, 81 will support my governments
only if it makes the concessions de
mand" And yet that is what the Cl0
leaders have said.
When CLOS President Philip Murray
accepted a governmental position as
member of the National Defense Media
tion Board, he sWore to uphold the will
of the people of the United States. When
he said, in effect, The government must
support John L. Lewis demand for a
closed shop in the coal mines, or | Will
not support the government. he was NOR
ally guilty Of treason. And when he did
resign it was proof that he accepted the
government position only so that he
could use its influence to build up the
CIO. When it was evident that the IN
fluence had failed. he quit.
The same is true of John Owens, chief
CIO labor relations cOnsultant for the
Office of Production Management, and
of Thomas Kennedy, secretary-treaSurer
of the United Mine Workers, who resign
ed from the National Defense Media
ton Board along with Murray 1t is true
of all the other CIO fifth columnists, big
and little, who accepted the orders Of
their union above their duty to the GOV
ernment when they walked out of fed
eral positions because the government
could not support their titular leader,
John L. Lewis
WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY
REALLY COMES TO REST
The action of CIO leaders who rcpudi-
ated their government in favor OF their
union cannot be called surprising it
could have been predicted by almost am
unbiased observer with a knowledge OF
their past actions. Yet to the average
person, utter disregard of all civilized
conceptions of loyalty will always be
startling, no matter how expected. SO
it is that the startling defiance by the
CIO Of the whole framework Of federal
government causes more than mOmen-
tary examination of the factors in the
background.
In any such examination, one thing Is
lucidly apparent. The fault lies not so
much with the men who have followed
their natural inclination toward trick
cry; it lies principally with those in
power who failed to recognize their apt
tude for treachery. The fault today lies
in the labor policy of the New Deal ad-
ministration-the policy which puts labor
racketeers in key federal positions. which
allows them to flaunt their divided loyal
ty and which encourages them in SabOtag
ing the vital defense program Of this
country. Yes, encourages them-fOr the
administrations lack of action is moth
ing but encouragement to the nations
worst internal enemies.
Men like Murray, Owens and Kennedy
should never have been appointed to any
position of governmental trust. There
were many voices raised in warning when
the appointments were made. Not only
were the warnings dismissed. they were
laughed at by the administration.
Now the laugh would be on the other
sde-if it were laughing matter. It is
not 1t is not time, either to say 81 told
you So