Evening star., 1941-10-02

CSeQlfR III llltlI
objective. T h ey
are rsinp dunes David Lawrence.
wherever possible but mostly they
are planting key ,gents here and
there to bring bout what are
known as Unauthorized and Wild
cat strikes. The origin of these is
mysterious. Yet Wildcat strikes are
increasing.
The leaders and officers of both
the G. l. o. and the A. F. of L.
unions, themselve; patriotic indivi-
duals, are often It a loss to know
what to do aDut unauthorized
strikes. Sometimes they concur when
the EMPLOYER diSniSses the strikers
But too often theorganizers of these
strikes have developed some SEM
blance of grievlnce so 1t is hard to
tell the difference between striker
who has a deliberate purpose in
frustrating prediction and one who
is merely abuing the right to
strike.
Errors Come Home to ROOst.
Unfortunately, the Roosevelt ad-
ministration has discouraged the
use of force IN dealing with those
strikers who zeal in violence. Not
only has the administration failed
to bring to book those who are
guilty of using labor union schemes
to extort monC-an offense punish
able under the Federal anti
racketeering hw-but the Supreme
Court by some of its decisions has
indicated thai violence as motive
In handling strikes has to be proved
almost to tie point of bloodshed
before coercbn can be punished.
The whole labor problem is filled
with mistaks made by a partisan
minded administration which now
are coming home to roost. The de-
fense progri m can be easily sabo-
tagged, and the Nazi agents know 1t
Is a simpl matter to delay and
break dowr American production.
On the tlightest pretext a strike
can be c.lled or charges can be
trumped ip against the employer
under tn, Wagner Act. Such a
thing as hiring detectives to find out
what is g,ing on by way of subver-
sive tactits or by sabotage has been
ruled out The laborites call this
"espionae' and they have sue
eeeded In ending virtually all forms
of counerespionage, thus leaving
the field free to the Nazi agents.
1t is doubtful whether the Federal
Bureau of Investigation is suff-
ciently stated to find the Nazi
agents in Americas industrial
plants. In the last war, the en-
ployers were aided by private
agencies most all of which in some
way wse tied in with the Federal
Governments own effort.
rus r. ID. Il. Onuef f1Ie.
But the Nazis, operating for
long while with the Communists as
q 'front.' have succeeded in tying the
hands of the F. B. I. so far as detect
ing the promoters of disorder in
manufacturing plants.
The INazis are much more clever
h Their maneuvers during this war
than the last. They know that
by planting agents here. and there,
they ian play upon the cupidity
OF individuals and persuade them
to strike for higher pay or a closed
shop q anything else that will en-
barra$ production. The loss in
man-lours since the emergency be-
gan his been minimized by various
defenders of labor because they
think 1t is a reflection on them.
Actually 1t is a manifestation of
the Inability Of the leaders to disci-
pline their men. The answer is
not t, cry out for more RESPONSE
bility for union officers, desirable
as thit may be, for such a change
from instability to stability comes
only after a long evolution. 1t does
not meet the immediate problem.
The solution for the present
emergency is a statute like that of
Canada which requires a strike
vote 10 be taken before there can
be suspension of operations in any
deferse plant and this vote to be
supervised by Government agency.
Sentiment in Congress for some
form of protection of the defense
program and of the right of patri-
otic workers to work without hav-
ing lheir efforts sabotaged is grow