Evening star., 1942-01-19
Lewis Proposal Fails
To Bring Quick Move
For Labor Reunion
New York Times Story
Of Union Chiefs Poet
Denied by Tobin
9y the Associated Press.


A proposal by John L. Lewis that
the A. r. L. and G. I. O. try once
more to find q common ground for
reunion failed to elicit immediate
signs today that organized labor's
two big houses, divided and warning
since the fall of 1886, would agree on
Q way tc close the breach quickly.
The boss of the United Mine
Workers Of America, one Of the
biggest unions and financial main
stays Of the C. I. O., addressed his
plea Saturday to C. I. o. President
Philip Murray and A. F. L. Presi-
dent William Green.
Although it was assumed gen.
orally that Mr.. Murray would assent,
he made no public announcement
for the time being and Mr.. Green
merely said "Our Peace Committee
stands ready to meet with a COM
mittee from the c. I. o. at any time
N. Y. Times Peace Story Denied.
CThe New York Times today
says MI. Lewis and Mr.. Green
have agreed on a unified labor
movement to be headed by
George Meany, secretary-treas- e.
urer of the A. F.. L., as president.
CA fiat denial of the Times
story was made here by Daniel j.
Tobin, vice president of the A.
F.. L., who said: Il have not had
any conferences with Lewis. 1t
Is an enormous falsehood which
can only do great injury to the
labor movement"
(Mr. Lewis, at his home in Alex
andria, refused to comment for
publication0
Tobin, A. F. L. vice president, con-
tended the best that could be ex-
pected from conferences at this time
would be q truce. THE reason Mr..
Lewis asked that peace conferences
be reopened was because he was the
one who adjourned the 1889 con-
ference and had promised to call 1t
back" Mr.. Tobin asserted.
Peace Efforts Reviewed.
Mr.. Lewis, asserting that Tabor
imperatively requires coherency In
order to give maximum assistance
to the Nation in It's war effort" sug-
gested in letters to Mr.. Green and
Mr.. Murray that A. F. L. and c. I. O.
peace committees, which failed to
work out an agreement at their
last meetings in 1889, convene again.
Events since 1899, the U. M. w.
chieftain said, ''have enfeebled Ger
tain obstacles" which existed at the
time and there is justification for
the belief that further effort could
achieve success
Mr.. Lewis wrote as q member OF
c. I. O.'s Negotiating Committee. He
did not elaborate on his reasons Tor
believing that a renewal Of nego-
tiations might meet with success.
The last peace meetings broke up
after A. F. L. rejection of formula
by Mr.. Lewis under which the A. F.
L., C. I. o. and the four big railroad
brotherhoods would have formed an
American Congress OF Labor" IN
which neither Mr.. Green nor Mr..
Lewis would have been eligible to
hold Office.
A. L. Attitude Explained
A. r. L. negotiators said the pro-
posal offered no real solution to the
problems OF reunion and suggested
it was mot even designed for seri-
ous consideration" Mr.. Lewis has
since stepped down from the titular
leadership of the c. I. o. in favor Of
Mr. Murray, but A. F. L. spokesmen
contend that as head Of the U. M.
W. he still has q dominant position.
Even the elimination of Mr. Green
and Mr.. Lewis from their high posi-
tions would do little to smooth the
way for reunion, one A. F. L. official
said today. For instance" he said,
The A. F. L. and c. I. o. now have
member unions In conflict In upward
Of two dozen fields, and that is only
one of the primary problems"