Evening star., 1943-05-20
Lewis
Continued From First Page.)

the CIO and left it last year he vir-
tually burned his bridges behind
him. He tried a third movement
under the banner of District so,
catch-all unit Of the UNIV. The re-
suits were less than spectacular.
AS the leader of a single union,
the United Mine Workers, his in
fluence in politics has its limitations.
BY rejoining a federation of unions
whose membership soon may aggre-
gate 100000, he could be seeking a
potent alliance in political councils,
perhaps starting with the 1914 presi-
Dental campaigns.
Reported Seeking Labor Unity.
William L. Hutcheson, president OF
the AFL Brotherhood of Carpenters,
is regarded as Mr.. Lewis chief ally
and sponsor of his return to the Fed
Grafton. Like Mr.. Lewis, Mr. Hutch
eson is Republican.
In an interview last night the
president of the carpenters said Mr..
Lewis application was evidence of
his sincerity for a unified labor
movement"
Mr.. Hutcheson said that in the
current soft coal wage dispute too
much blame is being placed on Mr..
Lewis. He is representing the men
who dig the coal, and from what I
can learn he is only carrying out
their desires"
Mr.. Lewis latest move, however
was not believed to bear any i'm
mediate relationship to the current
soft coal wage dispute.
1t was Mr.. Hutcheson whom Mr..
Lewis punched at an sAFL conven-
ton eight years ago. But that
wound has long since healed.
The carpenters chief said he be-
lieved Mr.. Lewis application would
encounter no difficulty in the AFL
Executive Council why should it?
President Green and the rest of us
have been urging peace all along
and asking him to come back
home"
What effect the miners re-
af1lliation with the AFL would have
on the CIO Is speculative. The re-
spective membership claims make
the CIO numerically inferior now.
The miners, who have been inde-
pendent since last October, would
add 100000 to 100000 to the 6.225,-
600 members who now pay per
capita tax to the AFL.
The aggregate membership of the
C1O unions is believed to be less
than 5,000,000. 1t has never made
public its treasury figures.
In any future unity negotiations
the AFL would thus hold more
commanding position than ever.
Mr.. Lewis might be in a position
then, to dictate peace terms to the
C1O. The AFL alternative to peace
might be an AFL organizing drive
that would prove more costly than
the C1O could afford and even peace
might mean the abolition of some
CIO unions.
At least two impediments must
be negotiated before Mr.. Lewis
return to the AFL. Some of the
UMW's District so membership in
fringes on the jurisdiction of AFL
craft unions and agreeable jurisdic-
tional lines would have to be drawn,
Also, leaders of the AFL Progressive
Miners once were bitter foes of Mr..
Lewis. AFL policies would not per-
init two unions of mine workers
within the federation.
The strained personal relationship
between Mr.. Lewis and Mr.. Green is
not expected to present any serious
problem. The latter's influence in
the federation is in no way COM
parable to Mr.. Lewis position in the
miners. Mr.. Green merely carries
out executive council policies. There
has been talk Of his retirement for
several years, and he could be the
f1rst casualty If Mr.. Lewis returns
to place at the AFL council table.