Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-17
By HUGH S. JOHNSON

~ servers have advised that
there will be revival of the
World War Taft war labor
board for voluntary mediation
of labor disputes. Most of them
have conjectured from the fact
that Bernard M. Barueh lanehed
at the White House on the day
this rumor leaked and went
there with Tommy Corcoran
that he is 10 be chairman of this
board.
There is good background in
logic. if not in truth, behind
this conjecture. The remarkable
success of the Taft board was, in
no small part. due to the fact
that its chairman was a highly
and much beloved ex-president
of the United States. a man of
infinite charm, a just and
learned judge. One of the two
or three leading figures in the
country, his perfect fairness and
courage were questioned by
none.
THERE simply is no figure
L with exactly that back
ground in the picture today.
From an equally impeccable rec
ord in entirely different walks
of life. Mr.. Baruch comes as
near filling the bill as any
nominee on the national roster.
As Clemenceau once said of
him. "One couldn't overlook his
distinction in any company"
From record as chairman of
the war industries board. under
fires as hot as these. he has the
respect of both sides in the
labor-bargaining struggle to
degree not possessed by any
other American.
From his anxious and effec-
tive concern for consumers
interests when he was COM
mander-in-chief of that other
great war Industrial, battle, he
should command an equal re-
spect from the third great party
to this inevitable economic
struggle-or rather the inno-
cent by-stander-who pays all
the bills, the consuming public.
THE CONDUCTOR of this
i column is frequently terribly
handicapped in commenting on
such important questions by be-
ing related through long and in
innate personal contact with
some important actors in this
harried scene.
He can't. in justice to them or
TO other commentators, ask
them for information and Is in
even greater embarrassment if
they give il without asking.
Then his mouth frequently has
TO stay shut. even if he knows
the answer from other sources
and his most frequent plea has
to be for Gods sake. don't tell
me anything and sometimes
don't even talk to me-"
This particular conjecture is
leading case in point. Mr..
Baruch is. and for many years
has been. as close to me as any
blood relative ] have. In this
case, however, am going to
break rule and ask to be be-
lieved when / say have never
even discussed the matter of
this appointment with him. On
this basis l am going TO do a
little conjecturing on my own
hook.
THE FIRST stab is a pure
= guess-the job hasn't been
Offered to him. The second is a
certainty-he would take il only
over the dead remains of the
advice of many OF his friends.
The reasons for the opposition
of his friends are many. One is
that he has the widest expert
ence and l think the greatest
wisdom of any living man on
industrial mobilization. He wants
no active part in it but only TO
see younger men go to town.
But his advice in the broader
field is simply invaluable TO the
nation. If it had been followed in
the past few years, much of the
worlds troubles might have
been avoided.
1t is absolutely certain that
most of our present anxiety
would have been avoided. To
cabin and confine him in this
other big, but highly specialized,
work would be too much of a
national loss. He couldn't do
both jobs.
"A MOTHER reason is that the
"A mediation task is one of in
finite mental and physical
strains and stresses-a 24-hour-
a-day ordeal of heart-tearing in
PREVENTION between conflicting
interests-and of pressures and
assaults from angry contestants.
Mr.. Baruch is II years old
and, while he is remarkably
virile and has shown that he can
be plenty tough at times, he is
really just an old softie with a
heart as sympathetic as a
woman's for the troubles OF
other people. In short, this job
would kill him
There are several other rea-
sons why I guess that B. M.
Baruch isn't going TO be the
William II. Taft Of our second
war labor board but aren't these