Evening star., 1941-04-10

screen that be- David Lawrence.
clouds the real issue. The fact is
that for several weeks strikes have
cropped up in just the places where
the defense program could be in
jured the most-in small plants
making vital parts or in large scale
industries where production was
needed.
The left wing labor movement
has been successful thus far in CIV
ing the impression that it is inter
ested only in securing certain labor
objectives and that if employers
would capitulate to labor demands
all would be well. The administra-
tion has been so much of factor
I'm encouraging the left wing labor
movement in America, having per-
mitted the National Labor Relations
Boards official machinery to be
used for that purpose, it is now diff
ficult for the sponsors thereof to
eeverse themselves.
Policy Of GentleneSs.
When Secretary Perkins speaks
gently about Communists and urges
that there be a process of education
80 that unions may get rid of Com
munists in their ranks, she merely
reflects the tenderness which has
been exhibited here toward the
whole problem for some time. Thus,
not long ago Attorney General
Jackson. in a public statement, de-
elared that Communists were re-
sponsible for the strike at the Vul-
tee aircraft plant, but now it turns
out, according to Miss Perkins tes-
Communists there and that they
soon left the scene. What they did
after that and what their next place
Of mischief happened to be she
didn't known-she said it wasn't
the business of her department to
worry about Communists, but to set
tie strikes.
This attitude of fearing to tackle
the Communist problem is partly
due to the manner in which the
White House from time to time has
pooh -poohed the Dies inquiry into
Communism. There can be no doubt
that the Dies Committee every now
and then made some exaggerated
statements and doubtless dragged
IN the names of innocent persons,
but the testimony and evidence un-
covered reveals that Communism
does play a small but influential
part in American labor matters.
The mystery about Communist
activity in the United States could
readily be solved if the files of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
were opened up and if the F. B. I.
were encouraged by the administra-
tion to penetrate the relationship of
Communists to work stoppages. On
its face, 1t is a curious thing that
the Moscow government, which is
supposed to be on friendly terms
with the United States Government,
should be interested in interrupting
American defense production.
Likely Nazi Tools.
The probabilities are that the
Communists in the United States
do not have much contact with the
foreign policy of the Soviets, but
are interested in establishing Com
munism here irrespective of the war
issues. A more plausible explana-
tion. however, is that the Nazi gov
ernment has managed through its
agents and its money to get control
of the Communist saboteurs who,
because of their penetration of the
left wing labor movement, are in
position to bring about stoppages in
key industries and in strategically
located plants.
That there are Communists in the
left wing labor movement is gener-
ally conceded but it is mistake to
assume that any large number of
American labor leaders, either in
the c. I. o. or the A. F. of L., have
any tie-up with Communism. What
y happening unqueStionably is an
undercover use of the Wagner law
1iiu bdDOI OcClSlOIlS
fomenting strikes and promoting in
dustrial strife. The members of the
Labor Board itself and the labor
leaders in the main are as good
Americans as those of the employer
group who disagree with them. But
until the F. B. I. and the inveStiga-
tors for the congressional committees
now looking into defense matters
bring to public notice the details of
how the patriotic labor leaders and
Government officials are being
duped. there will be little light shed
On the subject.
President Drops Hint.
Meanwhile, the cause of education
among the labor groups who really
want 10 cooperate with national
defense efforts will not be aided by
tndiscrimnate use of the word
sComsnanist" In reference to all
labor activities. This is what Presi-
dent Roosevelt meant the other day
when, in answer to question at his
press conference, he emphasized
that there were no more Com
lasanisss among labor unions than in
other organizations. He was trying
to discourage the name-calling.
Unhappily, however, the question
Of how many or how few Com
nfanists are active is becoming less
important daily than the question of
why so many strikes are being
called among unions which have