Evening star., 1941-11-18
The Political Mill
Lewis Mines ond Government Reach Point
Beyond Which Issue Can Be Side stepped

OC SsOSSASPPSo
faithless to the people OF Amer
lea. 1t is not expected that this
Government will be supine in the
matter.
How many Of the coal miners
affected by the strike will back
Mr.. Lewis? How many will listen
to the call OF the Government
particularly If the President takes
over the mines and demands that
they be operated? Presumably
Mr.. Lewis believes they will all
stand by him, The showdown on
this issue will come If and when
the President, using the Army,
takes the mines.
President Roosevelt has told
the people of America that this
Is the time when all must make
sacrifices, whether they be the
men who are drafted for military
service or civilians in all walks
Of life. What sacrifices has Or
ganized labor made to date?
None. On the contrary, organized
labor has made use of the emer-
gency to seek gains all along the
line-gains in pay, in unioniza-
ton of plants and in the closed
shop. 1t has not hesitated to tie
up plants producing airplanes
for the Army and Navy, and for
the nations which are engaged
in fighting Hitler. 1t has not
hesitated to bring about strikes
in shipbuilding yards, or in fac
tories producing munitions, or
the materials essential to such
production. 1t has. by these
strikes, seriously impeded the ma
tional defense program. 1t looks
as though organized labor in
tended to make no sacrifices-as
though it desired to be set apart
from the rest Of the country in
this matter OF patriotic sacrifice.
The attitude 1t has assumed is
not helping the cause of labor.
Public opinion will not stand for
this kind Of sabotage OF national
defense.
Harsher Method Possible.
Some of the strongest friends
OF labor in Congress are thor
oughly disguised with the antics
OF Mr.. Lewis and other labor
leaders in this situation. They
wish labor to have fair deal, to
receive adequate wages. They do
not believe, however, that a fair
deal cannot be had without STOP
pages OF work in essential in
dustries. They know that under
the laws enacted by Congress,
and as administered by a Gov
ernment which has leaned over
backward to favor organized Ia
bor, adjustments have been and
will continue to be made without
any stoppage OF work whatever.
Mr.. Lewis is much mistaken II
he believes that it is only the
Connallys, the Coxes. the Smiths
who are ready to take drastic
action through congressional leg
islation to deal with strikes in
defense industry.
The President set up the Ma
tional Defense Mediation Board
as an instrument to deal fairly
with labor in disputes arising be-
tween it and management in de-
fense industries. representatives
of the great labor organizations
were made members of the board.
On the first occasion that the
board decided against one of
these organizations-in the cap
tive coal mine case-the repre-
sentatives of the C. l. o. who had
been placed on the board de-
serted their posts. This has tied
up the efforts Of the board to
settle other labor disputes in i'm
portant industries. The Presi-
dent is faced now with the need
of trying some other-and per-
haps harsher-method of meet
ing the crisis which has arisen.