Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-10
Shipyards
Settlement
In Turmoil
Union Chief Thwarted
on Gift by Navy
BY PAUL MALLON

NASHINGTON. Sept. 10.--The
W government has worked IT,
self into such complete inner
confusion over the kearney ship
yards settlement that some one
VIII probably have TO call Mr..
Roosevelt in again to strengthen
Il OGt
Root of tho trouble is that
union President John Green
thought he was going TO get
prize new Union privilege-"the
maintenance OF union contract
out of the government If ii
seized the plant. The govern
mont cannot now easily deliver.
and thus Commit itself t6 eStah-
fishing the same privileges in all
navy yard unions and other de-
Tense plants over the country.
The narrowing details have
been spared from public an
nOunCe men I. but practically
every one i'm the government
from the top down through all
the labor agencies wishes the
whole matter could be forgot
ten.
MR.. GREENS understanding
vi was based on his dealings
with the Presidents defense
labor chieftain Sidney Hillman
and the labor mediation board,
particularly Chairman Davis.
Mr.. Green naturally thought the
promise bore the- Presidents
approval. especially as the board
panel had previously approved
the granting of such privilege
by the private company operat-
ing the plant. In fact. MIR Green
Lanne4Heed- -eNPeeta-
tionS after tho government had
taken the plant AS conse-
QuencC, his wrath has been great.
Just 10 make the matter
about as bad as possible, the
navy department now wants to
keep the plant permanently. The
United States Steel Company
publicly announced 1t was will
inc TO sell. Navy Secretary
Knox has been working IN that
direction. in conference with the
company officials.
But as the navy is now oper-
ating tho plant, the union has
no contract whatever If the
navy takes il over permanently,
the union suspects II Will have
lost its prestige and VIII lose
its members also.
The strike settlement which
Mr.. Hlllman and the board had
planned would have frozen wages
10 be paid by United States Steel
at the plant for two years. Now
without a contract, the union
has nothing frozen.
Mr.. HILLMAN has been work
Nl ing on solution which
would sidetrack the, argument
deity but weakly and not with
out embarrassment. If he and
the union could get the govern
-mPnt 10 purchase the plant
through the usual RFC loan
SuhterluCc. the curse of direct
government management could
be avoided and the union could
get what II wants
RFC would merely put up the
money and have the plant man
aged privately. AS mas been done
IN some other instances. This
the navy would fight
Thus did the matter progress
from the start backwards.
THE confusing Countcrclaims
i in the Greer destroyer in.
cident inspired just as much
speculation around Washington
as elsewhere and with as little
resulting light. Certain navy
men saw the incident as
! German desire 10 strengthen
! morale al home, 10 offset the
/ Russian failures. a design to
strengthen patriotism further
against outside influences. They
took the view the Germans fired
1 first.
BY far the greater number OF
authorities, however. traced the
development back 10 Navy Sec
rotary KnoN'S announced deci-
sion 10 drop depth bombs
whenever the sound of a nearby
submerged submarine is de-
teCted. Such incidents naturally
would flow from such a policy
and the wonder is not that the
reports should be- conflicting.
hut that such an incident. was
delayed so long
Congress took the destroyer
situation without indicating un-
usual alarm Beyond his pub
! liShcd quotes Senate Foreign
Relations Chairman Tom Com
nally, for a typical instance.
expressed tho opinion only that
a series Of repeated attacks
would inspire an open declara-
ton.
CINCE the picture Of Bernard
~ Baruch holding council with
friends like Leon Henderson in
La Fayette Park here was pub
lShcd in magazines the post
office has been receiving letters
addressed 10 him in care OF