Evening star., 1941-11-24

I II lDllOWlIlk
status has been ~
arrived at:
!. Alt h ough David Lawrence.
more than 10000 commercial coal
miners interrupted Americas de-
fense program by walkout that
was not sanctioned formally as a
strike, nobody is today being held
responsible by law for what smt UNITS
to a wilful restriction of the flow OF
fuel needed for the making Of steel
In the defense program.
2. The United Mine Workers in
ion has agreed to arbittate the
closed shop issue and accept the
findings but it has not yielded its
right to interrupt the defense pro-
gram by another coal strike on
whatever provocation it plesses and
without taking vote of the rem
bers of the union.
CT. O. Backed Miners.
8. The right to strike by a ma
tional labor union apparently super
sedes any request for its suspension
by the President OF the United
States. The c. I. o. in national
convention backed the miners union
and disregarded the loss of coal to
the defense program last week
4. The effort of the President to
freeze the existing status, namely
to continue closed shops or open
shops in their present situation for
the duration of the war emergency,
has thus far failed. Whatever is
decided by the proposed arbitra-
ton will settle only the captive
mine situation. 1t will not retard
the drive for the closed shop else
where.
The acid test of the Presidents
recently expressed determination to
develop a labor policy that would in
sure the country against Interrupt
tions in the defense program is at
hand. Congress, and only Congress,
can now bring into play the majesty
of the law as a means Of formulat-
ing a national labor policy but 1t
may be that the administration will
now do over agagin what 1t has
done after every labor crisis in the
past, lose interest In legislation.
Unless the administration wishes to
see laws passed dealing with the
labor problem there will be none.
1t Is the easiest thing In the world
for administration neutenants again
to sabotage all legislative proposals.
The usual procedure is to have pro-
longed hearings or else to keep bills
buried in committees.
Chloroform In Senate.
A determined group Of members
of the House will insist on seeing
some form of legislation enacted but
1t will be interesting to observe the
way the labor lobby will seek to an
esthetize the proposals and possibly
keep them from going beyond the
consideration stage. There may
even be a bill passed by the House
but it is in the Senate where the
chloroform is administered to any
bills that seek to even the balance
Is between management and labor.
The country has been lulled again
and again into a belief that the la
Dor situation can be handled by the
finesse of the President or by the
self-restraint of the labor leaders.
The record of crisis in the last 18
months shows that the administra-
ton has repeatedly minimized labor
difficulties and sought to give the
impression that they were not at all
damaging to the defense program.
This policy of procrastination and
deferential treatment Of the labor
bosses has resulted in more and
more aggressiveness on the part Of
the leading unions so that today the
right to strike has been lifted high
above the national interest and a
plea from the President of the
United States isn't any more ef1ec-
tive than If it had been uttered by
q person in far-of land.
The only reason the miners union
and John Lewis seemingly capitu-
lated on Saturday was because OF
fear that public opinion would grow
10 strong that even the administra-
ton would not be able to hold 1t
back.
Murrays Speech Criticized.
The President is represented as
having moved patiently and cau-
tiously last week only because the
C. I. o. national convention was In
progress and because Of the argu-
ment that If Mr.. Roosevelt used
troops or resorted to drastic meas
ures the result might be the build
ing up of Mr.. Lewis as martyr
leader and the breaking down Of
Phil Murray. The latter is supposed
70 be a more tractable labor chief,
although his speech before the con-
vention gave an impression OF ire
sponsibility which doesn't augur
well for the future. Mr.. Murray
said that whatever wrongs Biof1
and Browne committed. for which
they were convicted by a Jury aiter
. formal trial, were not any more
reprehensible than the acts OF the
Dl-a-year men in getting fat con-
tracts for their employers, some
Thing which has not yet been proved.
This sort Of demogoguery reveals
that the C. I. o. has no statesman
ship at it's helm and that the coun-
try Is in for some serious labor
trouble and impairment Of the de-
fense program unless Congress
courageously reflects the demands
Of Q public opinion aroused by last
weeks disgraceful episode, a So
called sympathy strike. actually,
slap In the face Of the President OF
the United States.