Evening star., 1941-06-10
Clearing the Air

=
Developments on the labor front
during the past few days have
cleared the air of number of false
conceptions which have muddled the
thinking of responsible labor leaders
and Government officials who could
not bring themselves to face un-
pleasant facts.
Until a short time ago, very few
men inf the labor movement or in
Government were willing to admit
that subverSive elements had taken
over" important union groups, and
there was almost no one in authority
to advocate determined action
against these elements. The outlook
has changed now, however, and GER
tain things are clear.
One is that the SubverSive ele-
ment-the Communists, Nazis and
their sympathizers-are strongly en-
trenched in many key unions. When
as good a friend of labor as Attorney
General Jackson, who called atten-
ton to the Communist influence in
the Vultee strike last year, asserts
that the strike leaders at the North
American Aviation plant in Cali
fornia are following the Communist
party line, and that the situation
at the plant more nearly resembles
an inSurrection than a labor strike"
it is time to face the unpleasant
conclusion that the enemies of
democracy and of labor as well have
made up their minds to cripple this
vital wartime industry. They must
be dealt with, firmly and at once.
Secondly, it is clear that the
remedy adopted in the North Amer
lean case will not be adequate for
treatment of the entire problem.
With approximately a third of the
men at this huge plant said to be
back at work today, it seems prob
able that this strike can be broken.
But that does not mean that the
un-American faction in labor will
not strike again at some other key
spot. AS matter of fact, a strike
which follows the same pattern as
that at North American already has
been started by C. I. o. die casters
in the vitality important Cleveland
plant of the Aluminium Company of
America. In Cleveland as in Cali
tornla, the men struck while their
grievances were being considered by
the National Defense Mediation
Board. This is in direct violation
of the policy laid down by the Presi-
dent in proclaiming the full national
emergency, and is the sort of labor
activity which gravely threatens the
national security.
Strikes of this kind, and the labor
leaders who are responsible for them,
cannot be dealt with merely by
taking over the plant of an innocent
employer. While the present emer-
gency exists, some method must be
devised to compel labor to abide by
the findings of an impartial Media
ton Board, or to accept penalties
for refusing to do so.
A step in this direction has been
taken by Brigadier General Lewis B.
Hershey in ordering local Draft
Boards to cancel deferment of de-
fense strikers who are otherwise
eligible for military service. At best,
however, this is but limited remedy.
1t does not apply to all strikers, and
in those cases where it is effective
it is more apt to reach the dupes
of radical labor leaders than the
leaders themselves.
The real cure would seem to lie in
twofold attack on the problem
First, the responsible leaders of
labor, who have belatedly taken a
stand against the left wingers,
should intensity their efforts with a
view to driving the radicals out of
organized labor. When this is done,
they should then strive to root out
the false doctrines that have been
implanted in the minds of the rank
and file of labor. To give effect to
this effort, the President should pro-
pose and Congress should enact some
legislative prohibition against de-
fense strikes in violation of the
Mediation Boards recommendations
and this prohibition should be
accompanied by penalties for non
compliance.
The evil of defense strikes can be
wiped out if the leaders of labor and
those in official circles make up their
minds to do the job Acceptance by
the United Mine Workers and the
Southern coal producers of the
Mediation Board recommendations
which the producers had so strongly
opposed points the way But the goal
can be reached only if recalcitrant
labor elements as we'll as employers
are compelled to toe the mark.