The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-08-26

movie moguls for their big job in filming 100 reels of Army training films. This was the first time training films have ever been taken, and Hollywood did them for forty percent of what it would have cost Hollywood itself to do the job. In other words, the Army only had to pay union labor and cost of film, Hollywood supplying the studios, production, overhead and everything else.
 AUTO CUT
 That fanfared OPM cut of 26- h per cent in auto production drew no cheers from War Depart part1nent chiefs. To them it was 8 big disappointment.
 First of all the cut looks a lot
 bigger than it actually is. For
 one thing the OPM carefully did
 not reveal in it's hOOpla press
 releases was the fact that even
 with this curtaiIment auto pro-
 ductiOn still will be 10 per cent
 greater than in 1898 and 1939.
 In other words, notwithshtand- ing the increasing shortage of strategic raw materials, such as steel, rubber, alloys and other metals, auto production is to con- tinue at levels higher than in the peaceful years of '38 and '39.
 Another reason for the Army
 gloom was that it wanted an
 immediate cut of at least 50 per
 cent.
 For months War Department heads pleaded and argued with OPM moguls for drastic curtail- ment, on the ground that the ma- terial going into pleasure cars are desperately needed for planes, tanks, ships, guns and other vital armamentS. But for months the OPM masterminds did absolutely nothing.
 Finally, in July, scrappy OPACS Director Leon Henderson, who
 has seen eye-to-eye with the
 Army on this issue from the
 start, took the bull by the horns
 and ordered" 8 50 per cent
 slash.
 OPM's reaction was to hit the ceiling. It refused to accept the ruling. And while OPM battled be- hind the scenes with OPACS. autos continued to roll off assemb- ly lines in record breaking num- bers. However, Henderson's bare- knuckling finally took effect. The 26-1s per cent cut is little less than half of what the Army and Henderson wanted, but 1t is 6-Hs per cent more than OPM's origin al figure.
 JOHN LEWIS DEFEAT
 The big inside story of the re- cent United Auto Workers con- yention in Buffalo is that John L. Lewis was soundly licked in 8 secret attempt to get this power ful union, second largest in the CIO, under his ambitious thumb.
 Lewis sought this control, first, to strengthen his recapture of the CIO presidency from ailing Phil Murray; second, to foster his poli- tical ambitions as an anti-RooSe- welt, isolationist champion.
 Crux of the undercover fight at Buffalo was control of the
 Auto Workers executive board,
 in which Lewis and his leftwing
 allies were defeated twice.
 Lewis also was floored on the question of the CIO presidency. He couldn't afford to oppose a Murray endorsement openly, as Ee would be certain to be licked, which would be disastrous for Lewis. So Lewis henchmen tried desperately to avert any declara- ton on the question. But the anti ,Lewisites outinaneuvered them and the convention went on re- cord overwhelmingly for another term for Murray.
 John L. also changed his secret plan to deliver a surprise address ct the meeting. This had been quietly arranged by George Adde's. JAW leftwing secretary -treAsur- CT, but sensing the anti-Lewis sentiment ct the very start, John |. dld not ahow up. Instead Allan Haywood, CiO national or9enixa- fion director, went to Buffalo to try to do Lewis axlns for him.
 N0TE-0 Outstanding leaders of ,iho convention were tho young ReutfeF brothers, Victor and WaI- Ger, who led the successful fight nealnst th0 fewis-leftwliag forces Vlea rraaldont Richard EFankens steon. who before the convention ela A lot ok loud talking about hoW tough he was geifg 70 make it foF tlle iagtlsls, folded iip and played hand.inasioye with Inc feWis clique.
 IA A..