The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-03-20
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HUGH S.
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Washington, ID. C.
DEFENSE LABOR PROBLEMS

sion of strikes which could paralyze
defense production. One is Mr.
Knudsen's proposal to extend the
principles of the Railway Mediation
act, which requires cooling off
period before any strike can be-
gin. The other is that of Assistant
Secretary of War Patterson, which
would reconstitute the World Wal
Taft-Walsh board which relied upor
distinguished mediation and impair.
tial determination of issues backed
up by public opinion and indirect
use Of other governmental wal
powers.
Both plans have been remarkably
successful. Secretary Patterson's
worked almost perfectly in the last
war. Mr.. Knudsen's idea would re.
quire new statute and new kind
of labor board to add to the rest
as would Mr.. Patterson's. But the
secretary's plan could be put into
effect Immediately by an executive
order. -
Would either or both work? No,
body knows. What is needed is not
so much more new schemes and
bureaus as better men. One reason
why the Taft board worked so well
was that its chief was a former
President of the United States who
even earlier had been International
ly known and highly respected as
secretary of war and governor gen.
eral of the Philippines. Moreover,
he had been a great federal judge
of most liberal principles, noted for
record of absolute justice.
Finally, he was Big Bill Taft, a
great humanist, who could frequent
ly just chuckle and laugh the bel
LAGRANGE out of angry contestants.
That kind of man could make almost
any plan work today, but where are
we going to find him? The great
men of that generation seemed to
regard no job as being beneath their
dignity if the country needed to
have it done, and there were more
such men in those days.
Our labor mediation organization
now is / an implanted and chaotic
mess. Twelve states have their
own labor boards and conciliators.
They insist on acting each within its
own state. The department of labor
has a similar service. 1t doesn't
like to be left out. The National
Labor Relations board has another
which horns in when possible. Mr..
Sidney Hillman of OPM has another
which is very active. The war de-
partment has been urged to engage
in settling strikes. Now if we adopt
Mr.. Knudsen's or Mr.. Patterson's
suggestion-or both-there could be
five, six or seven separate govern
mental horners-in on any threat
ened dispute.
>CHURCHILL'S ACCURACY
Winston Churchill's running con-
troversial on the period from 1914
to this date is abreast of the best
in English literature of any age, in
vigor, style and content. That may
add unduly to it's fascination but it
doesn't subtract at all from its SUBJ
stance. 1t is an advocacy very
cogent in logic, thoroughly docu-
mented in every case. In all his
dozens of controversies about Brit
ish policy and defense, convincing
ly buttressed by compelling facts
and figures.
This isn't to say that he was al.
ways right. Sometimes, at critical
moments, he was so right that his
logic and action decided favorably
to his country the ultimate issue of
the earlier war-aS for example,
his mobilization of the fleet in 1914.
Sometimes he was very wrong, as
in the Antwerp excursion in 1914
and in the Narvik disaster in this
war.
The adventure at Gallipoi also
proved disastrous, but he argues
well that it need not have been so.
To what extent he was responsible
for the 1918 thrust through Salonika,
which broke the Central Powers, is
not clear but he certainly favored it.
Many students will always believe
that the 1899 declaration of war
over Poland was one of the most
hideous mistakes in timing in all
history but, however he favored it,
his was not the principal responsible
ity.
So much for whatever the unfavor-
able side of the record may be.
Turn to his position and pleading
from the opening of the Versailles
peace conference to this day, and
especially the record in his books,
''The Aftermath" "Arms And the
Covenant" published here in 1885
under the title "While England
Slept'O, "The World Crisis" and
1.-THE Unknown War" The two
books first mentioned are for fore
sight, craftsmanship and even clair
voyance among the most remark
able in literature.
If this voice had been only partial
ly needed from 1888 to as late as
1887, the present world catastrophe
could certainly have been avoided.
He stated and proved his case in
advance in economic, military and
diplomatic policy. His predictions
on the military effect of the occu-
patton and later fortification of the
Rhineland and almost every other
principal Nazi development, now
seem almost uncanny in their cor
rectness. His facts and arguments
were faithfully transmitted to our
government, where they produced
no more effect than on his own.
All that is water over the dam.
Brilliant as was that performance
of his, it is as nothing compared
with his war leadership of his coun-