Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-08
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

BY HUGH y. JOHNSON
TIiE award of the Pulitzer
l. prize to fellow-columnist
Westbrook Pegler for excellent
reporting in exposing graft.
crookedness and racketeering
among some labor leaders is one
that will be applauded by every
body who follows closely this
curious trade of daily columnar
kibitzing.
His work generally, and par
ticulariy in this instance, was
one requiring 10 the very high
est degree the qualities of cour-
age, perseverance and gruelling
work. 1t was done in his usual
humorous, Satirical style with
which he can and does attract
and hold attention TO a text
which. at the hands of another
writer. might often be ignored.
That job in particular required
intellectual. bravery because.
when he started out on it, many
people thought he was hopping
off TO an outright flight of
prejudiced labor batting -
course of which almost nobody
approves. The fact is that Pegler
at heart and by nature is a fiery
champion of the underdog and
firm believer in labor organi-
cations.
TNl1E fact is also that exposure
L of few crooks in the labor
organizations who were fleeing.
betraying and selling out the
workers. who trusted them and
were not aware Of their crooked
ness. Is no more an attack on
labor than a similar exposure of
political crooks in office is an
attack on the government and
the people they arc betrayinS.
But II was some time before
p Q G g RS constant hammcrinG
could make all this clear and
finally prove il in the courts. At
the outset he had to take risk
OF popular condemnation, loss of
patronage and even physical
harm.
To start that took CUTS galore.
To finish il took months OF
sticking To il and the hardest
kind of leGwork under very
serious difficulties. That is an
other attribute of the merit of
this Pulitzer award.
Still another. implicit in all
the rest, is that Pegler doesn't
criticize cavalierly or start
things he can't finish. He knew
when he started this one that
he had cut out for himself the
toughest job of his career But
he had the basic facts at hand
before he wrote line.
When he begins that kind of
crusade he calls it his I'M
finished business. Then he gets
tooth-hold, hangs on and
growls and worries like a bull
dog.
LIE STARTED with Willie
II Bioff a convicted pandcrcr
who had escaped his sentence Ia
become a we'll fattened labor
leader in the moving picture
industry. He ended with George
ScaliSe. who. largely through
Pegler's efforts, is a convicted
thief.
In between these accomplish
ments over more than a year.
he lifted the lid on many other
rackets and racketeers. In the
process he exposed to workers
and the country the complac-
ency of some of the very leaders
of the AFL toward evil condi-
tions of which they could not
possibly have been ignorant.
Somehow. for his persistent
criticism and constant railing at
wrong. many people regard Peg
Ter as an opinionated, sorehead,
Sourpuss scold who can't see
good in anything. and some of
his pictures tend to confirm that
in his countenance.
As a matter of fact, he is one
of the most shy and modest of
men and in many respects just
a sort of an old Softie. Incident
ally. he is about the most de-
lightful companion with whom
l ever had the pleasure of con-
sorting. His ordinary conversa-
ton is more amusing and
inciSive than some of his
coUImnS-and, to say that, is
going some.
DUT there is a great contrast.
- His talk flows Spontane-
ously, larded with original fig
ures of speech that could make
a gargoyle double up with
mirth. His column. on the con-
trary, is produced in the pains
of brain-child-birth. lie works
harder and longer in producing,
editing and perfecting it than
any colleague in his group.
He writes it, cusses it, tears
il up, walks the floor, writes
another and sometimes n third