Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-01-22
Murray Nips
Lewis Bid
To Muscle In
Lets His Old Boss KnowS|
Who's Running Clio
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

ny WIS DhOOh u LuLE1h
NOT even Tom Girdler, him.
self. could have clouted John
L. Lewis as hard as Philip Muir.
ray did in his comment on Mr..
Lewis attempt TO muscle back
into position of official power
in consolidated union move-
ment and TO cure his reputation
OF the sickness that set in when
he yanked out the coal miners
for a week. just before Pearl
Harbor.
Mr.. Murray just said that he
would present Johns suggestion
to the executive board Of the
Go. invited him TO express his
viewpoint and advised him that
he, Murray. was boss of the
Go.
Lewis Staked the presidency
Of the Go on an election bet
and lost. but his successor, who
seemed so mild and biddable
until his authority was chal-
lenged publicly in an obvious bid
for personal power and benefits
for the busy and ambitious
Lewis family. announced with
equal publicity and with sur
prising force that he Is his own
man.
NY thought that the interests
"A OF the American worker
motivated the Lewis proposal
may be forgotten az once.
The Lewis family. John and
his two brothers and his daugh.
ter. are professional unioneers
and politicians and you may
search Johns record AS far back
as IT goes and discover no effort
on his part 10 =deletise he Union
movement OF criminals proving
on the rank and file.
One brother has worked up
big business IN the field of con-
structlon labor under ~CIO
charter and is so hungry for
members. power and funds that
he took in a group of Trotsky
Communists in the Twin Cities
who had become too notorious
even for the Transfers OF the
AF'L. who certainly aren't ex-
elusive.
The other brother has been
building a state political ma
chine in West Virginia. where
not long ago the chief OF the
state police. who frisked union
gunner and disarmed them 10
prevent murder in the coal
strike. was removed from office,
following protest from the
bosses Of the mine workers.
4 S HEAD Of the family ambi-
"A tionS. John cost them all
no little prestige with his coal
strike on the issue OF the closed
shop and even though he won
his point by a fragrant betrayal
Of the free American citizen. his
timing was disastrous.
His information on the inten-
tons of the Japanese appar-
emily was no better than that
Of certain political and military
officers Of the nation, for he
pulled his strike right under the
guns Of the enemy, and the
people are not forgetting. as
they might IL he had shut of all
that production three months
earlier.
They are tenacious family
group. the Lewises, and MOTH 4
ing abashes them. but their
family unity and the growth Of
the power in the hands Of this
family have not escafed the
notice Of either the workers or
the rival unioneerS.
THE union movement. from
L the standpoint Of the worker
who wants 10 be free man.
would he much better of for
the retirement of John. which
would automatically reduce the
power Of the rest of the family.
His administration Of the AZ
fairs OF the miners has fooled
few Of them in the rank and file
in recent years and most Of the
men now realize that they paid
for material benefits with sac
rifice Of their human rights.
Democracy is only a word
not a practice 49, in the mine
workers and there was an ex-
preston Of the growing distrust
in a brief but violent strike In
Pennsylvania in which union
men went out protesting that
their union boss or dictator was
unfair to labor.
Lewis would seem 10 have
more political sense than he
showed in challenging Murrays
authority and affronting the
prestige Of his office but he has
been in a bad position ever since
his Willkie speech and has been
in wrong with the general pub
lie since the strike in the cap
tive mines which spread TO other
pits and cost the war industries
some great measure Of produc-
ton even while the Japs were
planning their sneak attack.
This loss Of face not only with
his professional colleagues in the
practical and utterly unsenti-
mental union business. which
uses ideals only in speeches and ,