Imperial Valley press., 1943-05-07
SCRAPS OF PAPER FOR
HITLER AND LEWIS

Until the other day, we ndu lluIlt pa
tience with those people who llkened Lew
is to Hitler. Such comparisons we telt
were outbursts of unreaSOning emotion
alism. Even the story of boys who pick
eted Lewis with signs making just such
a comparison failed to move us.
But today. Mr. Lewis himself with
his own statements makes Just such
comparison. So clear is this similarity,
that it is obvious to all; similarity of
reasoning, Of outlook, and OF ruthless
ness when il comes to pursuing selfish
obiectives.
Hitler has never complied with his
signed treaties Always. he claimed the
treaties were invalidated by transgres-
sions of the other party. Every time ne
"tore up a scrap of paper 1t was on the
excuse that the other fellow didn't OBJ
serve it anyhow.
Strangely enough, Lewis is disregard
ing the established order of things on the
ground that the administration didn't
carry out the dictates of labor. so there
fore labor isn't bound to carry out the
dictates of the government.
Lewis says that labor agreed not to
strike and agreed to abide by the War
Labor Board rulings. But, he says, the
board adopted this rule and that rule
and other rules including the little steel
formula and because these rules hadn't
been agreed upon by labor, then the whole
deal is off and government has no author
ity over anybody.
That is by far the most absurd reason
ing we have ever heard. Apply it to life
to the war, to any civilized community
and what is left? Anarchy. Utter chaos.
Applied to highway speeder, he could be
immune to arrest because he doesn't agree
+l,a+ n &c bp
could claim innocence because he doesn't
agree with the laws prohibiting theft;
applied to anybody breaking the law, 1t
would excuse anybody from being guilty
of anything.
Apply it to soldier conscripted into
service He could desert the army be-
cause he was against draft law.
And yet that is exactly the grounds
upon which Lewis is defending himself,
the most absurd grounds ever seriously
voiced in this country as far as we know.
If the administration lets him get
away with that sort of tomfoolery, then
there won't be enough shreds left of law
and order and the anti-inflation plan to
use as a net to catch whales.
There are at least two good things
about this whole coal mining mess.
First is that Lewis is being shown up
in his true light for what he is.
And secondly, surely this will show
Congress the advisability of formulating
fair, just, unbiased and non-political
rules and regulations on the labor ques-
ton; rules to protect the organized and
the unorganized; rules to protect the
public from foolishness like this; rules
fair to worker, employer, government;
rules to keep all workers free to join or
not join unions of their choice or work
with or without union domination.
In short, rules to guarantee the free
dom and self-pride of American work
men, and rules to keep this country free
from racketeering labor domination just
as we have rules to protect this country
from racketeering trusts.
The war in the east is as much United
Kingdom war as the war in Europe Is
New Zealand and Australian war.-Brit-
ish Deputy Prime Minister Clement At
lee.
We are anxious to see the end OF the
war. But are most of all concerned that
it shall end in victory. The mighty ven
ture (invasion) in which our men are des-
tined to play a decisive role should be
made as certain of success as anything
in war can be made-Prime Minister
Mackenzie King of Canada.