Evening star., 1941-01-31

concerned by the multiplying num-
Der of strikes and stoppages.
On November 26 Representative
Summers, Democrat, of Texas, chair
man of the House Judiciary Com
mittee, addressed letters to Attorney
General Jackson, Secretary of Labor
Perkins and w. H. McReynoldS, Sec
retary of the National Advisory
Commission on National Defense,
asking if any additional legislation
were needed in order to make certain
that the Governments prepared
ness program be not interfered with,
and particularly that the operation
of the manufacturing plants engaged
in the production of war materials
be not interfered with by such
strikes as are now tying up some of
these plants"
To this letter came a reply from
Attorney General Jackson saying his
department has mo authority or re-
sponsibility in the field of general
labor policy" and that the strike
situation presents no law enforce
ment problem that is either novel or
out of hand"
Study by Miss Perkins.
Secretary Perkins replied that any
proposal she might make would be
premature" and that she was study
ing the situation.
Mr.. McReynolds of the Defense
Commission said he had discussed
the matter with the commission and
I'VE have no specific suggestions to
make for additional legislation"
These letters were presented to the
House of Representatives to whom
Chairman Summers made the state
ment that subcommittee was to
get in touch with "the agencies and
instrumentalities and persons most
interested in the keeping open of
these factories, and to study the
whole question, both for the purpose
of being Immediately helpful, if
possible, and for the purpose of
being fully advised If it should be-
come necessary for the committee
upon its own volition to move in the
situation"
Mr.. Summers went on to say that
he did not believe the country will
compromise one iota on the PROPOSE
ton that having subjected its young
manhood to the possibilities Of COM
pulsory military service, having
voted these billions of dollars, that
1t will be tolerated for one split
second that anybody can paralyze
the operation of these plants upon
which the safety of this Nation may
depend"
bad Picture" Denied.
This was December g. Since then
Chairman Summers has announced
that the House Judiciary Committee
was ready to make an inquiry. But
1t appears that the executive branch
of the Government is not at all up
set about the strike situation and
whenever the subject is brought up,
statistics are produced or general
comments are made to the effect
that the situation isn't as bad as
painted.
If, therefore, the executive branch
of the Government, which is Just
now pleading for passage of lease
lend bill granting huge funds and
almost unlimited authority, isn't
disturbed about the stoppage and
strikes, why should the Congress
become aroused about it? This
question is heard on Capitol Hill.
The facts about the strike situa-
ton are not difficult to get. The
Federal Government has sufficient
machinery in its executive agencies
to find out who Is causing the
strikes and whether they are bona
f1de or prompted by the intrusion of
agents of foreign governments who
make strike leaders the innocent
tools of their sabotage activity.
But this is something that can be
determined not only by the Govern
ment but by the patriotic men at
the head of the G. I. o. and the
A. F. of L. in Washington.
Open to Suspicion.
AS yet, there is no evidence that
clearly establishes why the strikes
are growing, and why in some in
stances, just when the employers
and the unions are in virtual agree
ment, some one on the labor side
comes in with a demand that is
not in any way related to previous
negotiations which have taken
weeks or months. It is the inter-
lection of these demands, some of
them plausible and some of them
introducing elements which the ma
tional unions themselves have not
acted upon as a matter of general
policy, which causes suspicion to be
focused on the instigators of the