Evening star., 1941-04-28

sacrificed, but the American people
are face to face with an abuse of
the right of strike which is en-
dangering their safety.
The strike in the soft coal mines
has put black mark against union
labor in America. 1t is a black
mark against those who insist on
o pound of flesh even as their
countrymen are making sacrifices,
even as the President of the United
States appeals in vain for reason
instead of force. even as 10 ma
tional defense plants of major i'm
portance face shut down, and
even as steel furnaces-the very
heart of industrial production-face
o major reduction in working time.
The President has failed. The
mediation board plan has failed.
Union leadership has failed and
some Of the business managers in
the coal industry have given sorry
exhibition of themselves. For the
coal strike is a conspicuous example
of arbitrary power delegated to
few men, who can interpret patriot
ism in their own terms and stop the
wheels of production no matter how
much the rest of the citizenry is
damaged.
Defense Must Come First.
How long will public opinion per-
nit such a state of affairs to con-
tinue? For long time labor pleaded
for collective bargaining. This has
been fully granted in coal mines.
But with collective bargaining un-
fortunately has come no correspond
Ing sense Of responsibility, and as
for the Government it has pursued
wishy- waShy course that has
caused striking unions to lose re-
Rpect for its appeals.
The heart of the matter is the
right to strike. In peacetime it is
O justiflable weapon. But in war
emergency 1t is blow against ma
tional safety. The right to strike
cannot supersede the right of ma
ton to defend itself On this issue
the American people will find the
rank and file Of labor joining with
them II only the means of express
eson for the rank and file can be
found.
Even with the coal strike settled
this week the damage done is ir-
reparable. Herr Hitler won the first
round in Americas battle for pro-
daction. Small wonder Berlin is so
little concerned about America as a
real factor in the war 1t is not that
the Nazis expect agents over here to
do their work-they can count on
democracy to bicker itself to pieces
@ith strikes and stoppages. The
sefnshness Of groups in democracy
ss counted upon heavily by the
Tacist regime to cripple efficiency
here.
Britain has had the same trouble
Strikes persisted there till unions
and management were compelled to
agree on formula. Unhappily there
ts no comparable leadership here.
Neither the Government nor labor
seems to have any statesmanlike
conception of what is needed to pre-
vent strikes.
President Roosevelt, who won his
Fe-election for a third term largely
because Of the support of labor,
has revealed himself timid and hesi-
tsttng In the face of a dangerous
crisis In production. His course has
proved disappointing to the many
people who thought that when he
won n third term he would not listen
BE- the voice of expediency.
What, on the other hand it is
asked, can the President do? He can
back up his own appeal of a week
ago for mines to be reopened under
the same conditions as before, but
with negotiations on a new contract
bo proceed thereafter. When union
leaders refused to permit their men
10 60 back to work the President
could have then and can now order
troops to protect those who do want
10 work. This method of dealing
with n military emergency does not
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