Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-03
=CIO Designs.
On Sou+hDue
For Kickback;
Z.
Unionization There Would
Raise Race Issue
By WEsTBROOK PEGLER

IN THE commouon over ths
i coal miners strike, Phil Muir
ray, the president of the Go,
tossed off a remark at the ma
tional convention which went -
down the big wind as a mere
whisper but will bounce back In
a resounding echo. -
Mr.. Murray announced that
the principal concern OF the
Go in the coming year would
be to organize "the South and
it may be assumed, naturally
that the organization campaign
in the states of the southern
tier will follow the method or
earlier historic efforts to eman-
cipate the American worker
from the thrall of freedom ana
make him sign his name to the
standard contract of the unions.
According to the precedenfs
of Detroit and other centers OF
the motor industry and or
Johnstown, Pa, that would mean
the seizure of southern indus-
trial plants and the oil fields
of Texas, Oklahoma and LouiSi-..
ana.
THE southern states have a
L peculiar temperament ana
react vigorously TO mob action,
so if Mr.. Murray means what
he said, and if it may be as
sumed that the Go adheres TO
its old, tried methods. th7l
organizing campaign sh ou l0
provide many hours OF excite
ment.
There are few southernerA
living who personally recall the
disorders occasioned by the last
descent of the carpet-bagger.
but most of them have inher-
tied an attitude which will
become instantly and painfully
apparent.
The field is most inviting, for
unionism in the South Is
negligible TO date and the rea-
son is, largely. that it has been
impossible to persuade the
white American down there not
to draw the color line.
He will have none Of this
equality business even in q
union and will fight efforts to
unioniZe him on a common foot
ing with a Negro of similar
skill and similar human neces-
sites.
Yet. if the whites he union.
lied and the Negroes be ex-
cluded. there goes the white.
mans collective bargaining
power. thwarted by the cheap
labor of the dark man. -.
Then. too. the Go has prc,
claimed that the Negro Is wei.
come and this can only mean
that when the organizing cam
paign gets underway the Go
will have to face the question
and give an answer which can
only annoy the white popula-
ton.
A LREADY the Go has an
"A nounced that Edwin S.
Smith. late of the national labor
relations board. is 10 have charge
of the organization campaign In
the oil fields, and the Tribune Of
Austin, Tex. announces that the
ALL, alert 10 the rivalry, has
allocated the oil workers TO ire
own union of operating engineer y
and will tfy-te gather them III.
Mr.. Smiths sympathy WITH.
organizations described as raids.
cal was the subject Of consid-
cradle inquiry and extended
comment by the special com.
mittee of the House of Repre-
sentatives last year
This committee said. That
Smith utilizes the prerogatives
of his position To foster and en-
courage radicalism seems clear
from an examination of his long
career in the leftist movement"
and said he was the member OF
the board most notable for his
radical sympathies" So
r.'-
THE OPERATING engineers
Il of the AFL. however, is no
attractive alternative. for this
is the union of Joe Fay of New
ark, now under indictment in
Syracuse on a charge of assault =
on dissenting Subofficer. and
of William f. Maloney. presi-
dent, who maintains a stable Of
racing horses.
And the union. itself. Is
clearly allied and in many ways
similar to the Hold Carriers
Union, which recently held its
first convention in 30 years dur.
ing which period the toilers.
paid dues amounting to millions
of dollars.
So the situation in the South.
is very complex, racially and.
politically, and the implied prona.
Use of march of. say 10000
outsiders into any southern
community to overawe the COPS.
the sheriff and the mayor. as
happened at Johnstown. would
be likely to produce far differ. .
ent results.
In the Johnstown case the
Governor closed tho mills A., x~ro~.