The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-07-01
THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF 1.
CuR REPORTER


If John L. Lewis can imagine him
self making a mistake-and that
that takes master imaging he
must be wondering If he hasn't
been played for chump. None of
the mob he lined up with against
the President was of much help
to him when Congress threw the
book at him. And after the snowy
way Lewis said Il love YOU to them
In 1914 Then, you remember,
Lewis warned that if the President
were reelected he'd break every
body,s heart by resigning as Clio
chief Imply millions decided
not to cry their eyes out and put
Roosevelt back in office There
was nothing for Lewis to do but
saw off the limb he had put himself
way. out on Since that time
he has Travelled with the anti-Ad-
ministration mob, pretty sure they
would come through for him when
the blue chips were down =. >. He
failed to reckon that his buddies
were against FDR first, and for
any of their pals second - so John
L. was floored ironically enough,
because the President was siding
with him. That must have Stung.
Cecil Brown disagreed with the
editorialists who got very gleeful
about Lewis triumph over the
White House. What triumph?'
queried Brown, in effect. What have
7 e-s oh NH, ho1 NJ
and stubbornness got him? The
miners haven't got their raise.
They've earned the ill-feeling of
the people, including the service
men. And now the right to strike
their Sunday punch-has been
taken away from them. If Lewis
and the editorialists can figure
out how that makes the mine chief
happy they had better get in, but
quick, out of all this sun.
A one-time admirer of John L.
Lewis blames his downfall on too
much Washington" where even the
shoe-shine boys get the Great Man
complex If they stay there too long.
Lewis was a great guy ten years
ago." said this griever land one
of the best bargainers Labor ever
had. He was tough and smart and
he was, for the men. He is re-
sponsible for some of Labor's major
gains. He made the industrialists
crawl through his hoops, organizing
some outfits that had sworn never
to let the union button into his
plants. He made monkeys out OF
the mealymouths in the A F. of
L., and when he walked out and
organized the CLIO he stood pretty
good chance of wrecking the other
organization. He was that powerful.
On top of that, the son-o a-gun
was liked. His staggering caught
the public's Imagination. Here
was q guy who Spat in his foes
eye, called him a lot of scholarly
names all meaning louse-and
walked off with his scalp.
He was going fine when Washing
ton reached him. He got to like
popping offs sake uncorked the
Shakespearean quotes just to listen
to them roll. His first major dis
aster was to CUES wrong on what to
call John Nance Garner. Garner"
bassoed Lewis, lis a poker-playing,
whiskey- drinking, Labor batting, evil
old man." The public edited out
the Labor batting" and began to
call each other the rest Of the
phrase. They even got to singing
1t. 1t humanized Garner, and it
left Lewis looking like sour puss
and blue nose, a very bad thing for
a hero to look like. John L. Lewis
had made one crack too many.
From then on he found it tougher
for most folks to take him seri-
ously.
Some of the commentators have
accused Congress of behaving Ike
babies the past few days. Down on
the floor screaming and kicking
in bad temper. The action shearing
off some of the Owl funds is men,
toned as one of the tantrums. The
Honorables, who rear up and swear
their love for freedom of the press,
nevertheless have their own tricks
for running its freedom. They just
cut off the pay of the Govt press
services, thus exercising censorship
and keeping the press free at the
same time - free of breath, that is.
Washington insiders have explained
how idiotic the vote was. The House
voted to do away with only the do
nestle Owl, to keep it going on the
other side of the oceans. Far
enough away, you know, to keep
their constituents from benefiting
from the revelations. But as the
insiders pointed out, the domestic
staff digs the data for the foreign
branch. Without one there can
be no other. The whole affair is
a good example of the weasel vote.
It showed the Congressman trying
to butter the soldier vote on the
presense that there was nothing too
good for him. And at the same
time give the old spleen workout
doesn't make any sense, but STU
pidity in certain Congressman is
no worse than bad cold.
Clare Luce seems to regret having
turned "globaloney" into the SLAM
guage. She half-repudiated it in
another speech, declaring herself for
"globalliances" This reporter
wouldn't dream of counseling the
lovely and canny Congresswoman in
political matters, but he can point
out some of the headaches that
come to word-coiners The words
come back and haunt you, Con-
gresswoman. The invention looks
very tidy and meaty when it comes
out of the typewriter. But right
away the copycats run it ragged.
They give it meanings you didn't
plan for it. Being short on vo-
cabulary, the imitators soon begin
to use it to club you with-its own
mama! You found that out, didn't
voIYc RIlt Won won't get anywhere