Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-19
Labor Heads
Defermen+
Challenged
What Will Our Soldiers
Think About II?
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

"A Go and some government
agencies. a labor leader" may
now be deferred from the draft.
the Washington headquarters of
selective service announces.
A good many interpretations
are given TO this. From the only
really bitter lesson of the draft
of World War l ii was learned
that blanket exemptions" were
wholesale escape avenues for a
favored class.
For a man TO be exempt
merely because he could show
that he was a railroad man or A
shipbuilder, deprived the local
board of an opportunity TO see
what the Job meant to the win
ming of the war.
60 THIS time II was written
~ in the law that IL isn't a
mans calling alone that counts.
He must show that he is en-
gagged in a civilian Job necessary
TO expedite the successful
prosecution of the war.
The latter is r city loose
term. II would include a good
many racketeering Labor lead
ers" like Willie Bioff, who is
now behind the bars.
Labor leadership is supposed
10 be an elective office and in
the great democracy Of labor
there is no top man until you
get pretty we'll up toward the
national organization
If there are top men locally
their conduct frequently would
bear inspection.
The record of the real top"
men working in jobs necessary
10 expedite the successful prose-
cution Of war" has been nothing
10 write home about in the past
year-and-a-half. I am not talk
ing about actual defense. work
ers in factories,
NOUR true top man usually
L isn't employed in any fac
tory. He is paid by those who
are so employed by dues col
lected out Of their wages.
The number Of man-hourS lost
In war production. many Of them
in "iuriSdictional dispute" in
which the employer is not even
party, is A disgrace. Could
any labor leader" engaged in
one OF these be regarded as
necessary in the successful pros
ecution Of the war?
l am reliably informed that in
Egypt and China there are up
wards Of 500 Grated American
planes that have been there for
weeks but on account Of a strike
in a propeller plant. have no
propellers and won't have any
for many more weeks.
II is common knowledge that
many strikes. slowing up whole
production lines. have been craft
lily pulled in some department,
small in itself. but so placed in
the line Of production that II
ties up one and sometimes many
great plants
YOU may think that this is
we'll over or ON the wanc.
Remember how shortly after the
JOYOUS Cct-tocether meeting Of
AFL and Go leaders with tho
President Mr.. Phillip Murray
came forth with his direction 10
all his unions 70 demand 81 a
day extra wage and other con-
CcSSionS not now generally
granted.
That means a big new struggle
II it is pursued.
Furthermore, If Go wins in
that fight. AFL will have 10 take
il up and be as successful or
fade out Together they claim
about 100000 members or
counting $50 working days.
81 500 900 600 a year
Is that. and what will 60 with
il, aiding the successful prose-
Cution of the war?
ONE wonders what MacAr-
~ thurs men will think about
such things when they hear Of
this new draft deferment order.
One wonders what the coun-
try will think about them when
those long black boxes draped in
red. white and blue bunting
begin at first just 10 trickle
home, rising in an increasing
flood 10 tens OF thousands.
There is one right rule,
Keep political and special in
terests away from the machinery
of selective service"
Distributed by King Features synd, Inc.
Reproduction in whole or in part