The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-11-20
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hutched Out
The Truth
. THE MINES WILL
. KEEP OPERATING
. JOHN L. LEWIS
. OR NO JOHN L.

AS these lines are written, John l..
Lewis has not written the final chap
ter in the captive mine dispute. The
mediators, or arbitrators, have rem
dered their findings and it is up to
John.
In the award Lewis was given all
he wanted, except the closed shop,
which to him means the check-off. He
could have had all that before. His
last word on the matter won't mean
much, because there's person called
Uncle Sam who is going to see that
the mines keep running.
Wisdom would be in acceptance of
the award-and yet acceptance has
great risks for Lewis, because lack of
the check-off may kick back into the
free mines.
But whatever happens, isn't the
course run by Lewis in the last quar-
ter Of a century an odd one?
Some will remember back to when
he succeeded Frank j. Hayes as presi-
dent Of UMWA. Hayes, the mine
leader who looked like college man
just out.
And some will remember when
Lewis was in another jam, faced with
an injunction, the entire A. F. of l..
Executive Council ready to back him
waiting through day and night for
the word.
The word came. Lewis said, in eff
feet, "I cannot oppose my govern
ment." 1t saved the Judge a lot Of
bother, but it left the executive coun-
Gil flat.
History is interesting. A great
many public figures bank on the fact
that their followers others-will
not look back to other days. Mostly
they don't.
Who remembers the presidential
campaign in which Labor's Non-Parti-
san League blossomed forth-and was
a power. George L. Berry was the
president. He voiced it as the purpose
of the league to help elect the presi-
dent and then "to walk with him"
through his elected years. John L.
Lewis kicked a half million dollars
into the league-and right after cleo
ton George Berry departed from it's
precincts. Most other A. F. of L. men
went out also. Leaving Lewis, party
liners and some others.
x X x
John l.. Lewis became, to all in
tents and purposes, Labor's Non
Partisan League.
1t would hardly be right to say that
he and his league walked with the
President" They walked until they
got around behind him and there they
seem to have stayed, within kicking
range.
And once Lewis let go with a wise
crack-that one about she supped at
Labor's table"-and then served the
nation instead of John l.. Lewis.
Probably Lewis has many times
wished he had put that wisecrack OH
ice.
Well, it's long road since the bat
ties of West Virginia and Mother
Jones.
When Roosevelt was elected the
first time John l.. Lewis was just
about hanging on the ropes. Came
NRA and John l.. Lewis saw the
bandwagon coming down the road. He
jumped on, played his cards with wiz
ardry and leaped to top position Of
power.
1t was great performance. Gen.
Hugh Johnson was in his corner all
the way. They ought to still have a
lot in common.
Well, the war came. The situation
today is NRA turned around. Now
the nation is supreme. It's needs come
first
John l.. Lewis is learning the les
son hard. SO are great many others.
But Lewis manages to dramatize his
battles where others don't.
Whatever hampers the making of
war materials today has to get out Of
the way.
Some labor leaders may think they
are being showed around. Lewis per-
haps more than any other.
If they were wise they wouldn't
have to be showed around They would
get in there and help the nation.
Labor has all the guarantees it can
ask. But it can't abuse them and it
can't put them ahead of national
safety. 1t can let the reds push it
around, which is what is happening
in plenty of places.
Labor-starting with John l.. Lewis
had better learn to use the ma
chinery created for the purpose to get
its just grievances righted. It's other
grievances it had better forget, be-
fore something very forceful happens.
Nations at war don't stand for
much internal monkey business
CMW.