Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-01
HiIIman Puts
One Over on
John /. Lewis
Had Coal Row Certified
10 Mediation Board
BY PAUL MALLON

N ASIli4No w. 4HoH i'S
w coal strike struggle Is yet
too warm 10 permit anything
like free accounting of the
personal politics and throat slit
ting involved, but this much can
be said.
All leftover animoSities have
been heaped upon the bare head
of Sidney Hillman. the PreSi-
dents defense labor co-ordinator.
1t seems that John l.. Lewis,
the coal induStry's eX-officio
comptroller. holds Mr.. Hillman
responsible for having the strike
certified 10 the labor mediation
board against his wishes.
Mr.. Hillman saw the President
al least once and Labor Secre-
tarv Perkins several times urg-
ing this means of terminating
the strike.
Consequently, no hard feelings
remain between the labor coal
baron and Mr.. Roosevelt or Miss
Perkins. But what Mr.. Lewis
could do TO Mr.. Hlllman tczar.
in his own right, of the cloak
and suit industry when not Of
ficially engaged in defense) is
no whit less than what Mr..
Hillman has long desired 10 do
to Mr.. Lewis.
A Ii cherubic countenances
"A involved were saved, APP
parently including Mr.. Lewis's.
/ True. Mr.. Lewis announced
April . he would Under no cir
CumStances do W IN t he did
/ April n. He had warned the
administration publicly he would
not permit the dispute to, go to
the national labor mediation
Z board.
I'VE are not going to follow
/ the new formula" he then said,
that the board has discovered
of wiring the strikers I, go back,
busting their strikes. and then
having them come to Washing
ton TO mediate" This. of course,
was what was done three weeks
/ later.
While no announcements have
been made about il. little
rummaging around inside will
show Lewis may have won more
than half this argument.
The labor mediation board
quietly informed several persons,
presumably including Mr.. Lewis,
that the process of which he
complained would not be fol-
lowed by the board in the fu-
ture. at least would not become
the boards settled policy
Lewis, believing he had thus
broken up the Objectionable pol
icy of the board. readily accepted
the board. and let Mr.. Roosevelt
settle the strike on the deferred
agreement plan.
THIS government has its eyes
Il on Dakar, the fortified
French port in Africa nearest
the Western Hemisphere.
Whenever you hear Mr.. RooSe-
welt or Navy Secretary Knox
mention an unidentified point
uncomfortably close to North
and South America, they have
in mind this one spot. Their
frequently used example of the
lowering Dakar threat reflects
a general determination here TO
see that it does not fall into
German hands
Many American diplomats in
the state department personally
want TO take it now or at the
earliest possible moment. They
regard il as not only the de-
fenSive key to protect South
America and the Caribbean, but
the logical spot upon which to
launch any modern AEF against
Hitler'S hordeS.
MILITARY men do not share
vi their enthusiasm. No roads
from Dakar lead anywhere.
Hundreds of miles of desert sur
round it. The French will fight
for il. no doubt with German
help that has already arrived by
air.
The diplomats answer back
that Hitlers mechanical forces
cross deserts and that the stra-
tegic value of the base in COM
ing years of fighting is worth
decisive early action
The dispute has at least welled
up into hopes that the British
viii take 1t without much fur
Their delay. despite Vichy The
logical man TO do the lob is
Free French General De Gaulle,
who failed miserably in the same
effort last year.
Something along that line may
be worked out, but it is doubtful
that this government would care
( to assume Yet the responsibility
of leading the venture.
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