The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-11-29
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

NEW YORK,-TWo consnastlng events &C.
Cured Wednesday in New York.
At the Cathedral of st. John the Divine
$40 young American men received commits
sions as ensigns in the Navy after cereinon-
les at which Rear Admiral Thomas L. Catch,
who commanded the South Dakota when she
shot down 80 japanese planes in 80 minutes
in the South Pacific, addressed them on duty,
cooperation and patriotism. The graduates
then dispersed to their various duties, most of
them inexperienced in civil life and without
prospects of jobs after the war, and without
even thoughts of after-war careers.
About the same time, Henry ]. Kaiser, who
recently took over the Brewster Aeronauti-
cal Corp. after long record of miserable
failure and willful sabotage OIL plane produc-
ton for the Navy by an utterly dishonest and
defiant CLIO unioneer with long police record,
was voicing complete confidence in this low
and lying enemy of the graduates uptown
and of all the American men who are doing
the fighting. Known as Thomas de Lorenzo,
and by half dozen other names as he
forced to admit recently, the men who re-
ceived Kasers compliments and those of R.
j. Thomas, the international president of the
United Automobile Workers of the Go, de-
clared only few weeks ago that if it were
necessary to prevent the production Of
certain number of planes and to cause the
death of a number of Navy men for lack of
those planes, in order to maintain his union,
he would do just that. He had lied in all his Of
fetal documents, his draft registration and his
tax returns among them, had concealed
his police record including an indictment for
rioting done for the very purpose of prevent
ing the production of planes in the interests of
the union. And the only honest statement he
could make was that he was liar by habit.
Far from proceeding against him on any
charge or moving him out of the position
which he occupied as numerous officials of
the company were pereTntorijy canned on
charges of inefficiency, the government per-
mitted the imposter to return to his union
stronger than ever, Kaiser appeased him with
appeals to his supposititions better nature
and the membership OF the union, 5000 Amer
lean workers, gave him d resounding vote
of confidence.
Under the existing labor laws and the new
deals labor policy this man cannot legally
be thrown out of office. His union is satte-
lite of the deal and he has the right to
continue his sabotage of plane production,
even at the cost of Nevy mems lives, if he
should so decide. On the other hand the exc
cutives of the company. accused of lnefficlency
although Kaiser himself admits that the con-
tract under which they worked with the union
left them helpless, could be thrown out bodily
and thus held to blame by the very govern
Inefficiency is a negative offense. But the
man know as de Lorenzo called strikes over
trivial disputes, deliberately and knowing that
the Navy flyers needed che ships.
1t has often been said, and I am among
those who said it, that American labor was
all right but that the unioneers and the new
deal were responsible for the incredibly brutal
cynicism expressed in de Lorcnzos declara-
ton that he would let fighters die to preserve
his unions power. But the vote Of confidence
given by American men and women who knew
all about this man and had participated in
his sabotage bellies that sad hope. They are
as pad as the men they support and as guilty
OF ms guilt And the fact mIsga be faced
too, that Kaiser abandoned principle to get
results by placating ruthless power when
at least' ne should have dealt with de Lorenzo
as an EVIL condition forced upon him by the
new aea1. He was not required to pay him
coiiipiilllehts and they were especially in
opporIune and shocking on the same day that
az az o aolral' speaking to the finest instincts
- - o, ~ ilne young men going tc war, needless
=. az such nasty little prerog atives as de
~, enzo struck for of all questions Of
isw Genus more or less per hour for work
ie Ill factory safe at home
-V
hoy wv swinging into play in the Southland is
INST 'aoes' the game that required little eouin.
, '-a lew shoes and a couple Of chew.