Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-07
BY HUGH =. JOHNSON

n cluSion from this writer's
present swing around the ma
iIonal circle is theTiSing popular
resentment against strikes and
violence IN the defense in
duSlrieS.
This is deep. bitter and dam
eerous 10 the whole labor move
-T1CUt. II + Ielt IN the ranks OF
labor. TOO.
Take tins case as one among
many A man of 30 gives up
good Job to be taken as a con-
script at less than 81 a day Tens
of thousands OF men have been
deferred as essential workers
in industries essential to ma
tional defense. He no sooner
gets TO camp than he learnSthat
the essential man is on strike
= < 5atiitf-tt -t the essential industry
for an increase in wages that
are already several tunes the
soldiers pay - or for ii more
trivial cause
This is no imaginary case 1t
is one of the principal COM
plants at Washington SelectlXe
service headquarters and you
hear it wherever you 80.
THIS isn't just ordinary soldier
i grousing. The draf. reaches
into hundreds of thousands of
homes, indirectly affects MANY
others and. before it is over,
may affect them all.
II is the families OF these
drafted men who are. complain
ing and that could mean mil
lions.
Consumption itself is wei
coined IN no home Il IS ac-
cepted as sacrifice in the
national interest imposed on Il
fair and equal basis.
Everybody Knows that the
war for us just now is the bat
tie of production, SO resentment
is natural when the whole
biluminouS coal industry is par
a1yZed. the whole steel indus
try threatened and some of the
most important manufacturing
plants for armament tied up by
what, 10 many seems dim or
even trivial issues.
A T the bottom Of this disgrace
"A ful situation is no lack of
loyalty among the rank and
file of workers. Part of ii IS
struggle between union lead
erS for prestige. pay and posi-
tion in some cases and, as Is
becoming clearer daily for poll
teal or even CommunlStc pur-
poses in others.
This is a stencil and a dis
grace, and this administration
cannot escape blame for part
of it, 1t can't escape because
it has been far from impartial
IN dealing with this problem in
the past and not nearly tough
enough in dealing with il now
Where stands the labor half
of the two-headed KnudSen-
Eillman boy who is managing
production for deienSe2 In the
knudSen-knoX appeal in the
Allis-ChalmerS strike which at
fectS one channel OF the whole
stream of war production Mr..
Hillman was conspicuouSly abb
sent.
THE real bottleneck is Sec
Il rotary Perkins herself
In 1898 and "a five major
strikes Of national Importance
were settled by NRA None re-
CURED more than a few days.
and Miss Perkins was fit to be
tied.
The threatened general strike
on the West coast engineered
by Harry Bridges. now under
trial for deportation as a Com
munist. was one of these.
Miss Perkins complained that
MIRA Seemed 10 think that a
strike is something 10 be set
tied and said that Bridges and
his staff. who then had the en-
tire coastwiSca intercoastal and
international shipping on the
Pacific tied up tighter than a
drum. were lust bad boys,
Under her administration the
ranks al organized labor have
been split aSunder. and the ma
chinory for coercion Of both
labor and management has bcrU
built up
Now when our whole country
is IN immediate danger and an
imprcgnabIe armament is neceS-
Sary the great government Of
The United States appears ut
terly helpless 70 prevent parei-
ysis by private interests of its
principal machinery for defense.
THIS cant go on. After all.
Il public opinion is his
masters voice in America. 1t is
slow to speak but. once aroused,
no public servant can long dis
regard it,.
II Is up 10 this administration
10 get tough ana do 1t quick. 1t
has been prompt 10 do that for
Werly when the Culprit was
management The President
then returned from one of his
Caribbean fishing trips and les