Evening star., 1943-05-22

asessR, 5s: c1o sad Of Ssss sss ~
AFL, it was only David Lawrence.
4 question Of time before the ad.
ministration would have been able
to force the disintegration of the
Lewis hold on the miners union, II
not Of the union itself. The moment
the. President appealed over the
head OF Mr.. Lewis for the miner,
to go back to work and the moment
he ordered the mines seized, that
moment Mr.. Lewis faced the gov
ernmental influence as the biggest
challenge he has ever had to hi.
leadership.
Mr.. Lewis saw at once that he
could expect no sympathy from the
ranks Of labor itself. The C1O
which he had helped to found. de-
nounced him and indicated that it
was playing ball with the admins
tration against . labor leader who
vas trying to get some concessions
for his own followers which would
inevitably benefit all other labor
organizations.
Chooses AFL.
Under such circumstances, Mr..
Lewis noted that the AFL has not
attacked him and that despite his
own attempts to build through the
C1O a rival to the AFL, the latter
organization remained unbroken-
still the principal labor organiza
ton in all the world. Mr.. Lewis
swallowed his pride and decided to
choose between two hostile infiu-
ences-the administration or the
AFL. He chose to 60 back to his
former associates.
There are rumors that Mr.. Lewis
had an understanding in advance
or that ne felt sure he could become
the successor to William Green at
some future convention. This may
be discounted. II Mr.. Lewis be-
comes the leader of the AFL some
day, that's something else again.
For the moment he Is anxious to
become 4 part Of . national organ
isation and play his part in the
councils OF that body.
The intimations that he 1. seek
Ing to oust Mr.. Green may we'll
have been started by CIO support
ers or opponents OF Mr.. Lewis who
would like to see the AL block the
admission Of the miners union.
Check With Application.
Such \ contingency is unlikely.
Mr.. Lewis sent a check for 10000
when he transmitted the application
Of the miners union, 80 1t would
have paid-up status and be priv
ileged to participate in the next
ALL convention. He brings to the
AFL also 4 huge annual fund OF
dues from the 100000 or more men,
bers OF his union. The AL has
no logical reason to deny the ap-
plication, especially since it has
been consistently urging the wav-
ward unions to come back into
the fold.
One result OF the maneuver NAV
be to force the CIO to make peace
with the AFL and bring about unity
In the labor field With the miner,
in the AFL, the CIO may find itself
facing desertions OF Its own unions
and In the end Phil MURRAY NAV
find It desirable to devote all his
time to the steel workers union AZ
president, which is pretty big thins
In itself.
The AFL, Of course, has needed
some Of the dynamic drive and
energy OF the CIO movement, and
had there been a better approach to
the question of industrial unionism
few years ago when Mr.. Lewis
broke with his colleagues, the split
might not have occurred, though
opinions differ as to whether the
break might have come anyway.
Politics Enters Picture.
Another angle Of the Lewis return
TO the AFL Is said to be political It
Is being asserted that Mr.. Lewis.
who supported the Republican ticket
In the presidential campaign Of 1910
he was a Republican before the
New Dealers came into power-may
now seek to throw As many AL
votes into the Republican party as
he can. Mr.. Lewis has made IN
alliance with William Hutcheson of
che carpenters national union, who
is Republican.
II may be doubted. however
whether political considerat tions had
much to do with the Lewis decision.
II they crop out. it will much more
likely be in the direction OF 4 labor
party such As already exists In New
York State. The AFL's tradition,
established by the late Sam Comp
ers, Is to be bi-partisan-thati is to
thrown its influence from one party
to the other, depending on the
issues. History records, however,
that this is not rs decisive a factor
AS has often been claimed. and it
may be that President Roosevelt
will find that his labor agriculture
alliance will never be as effective
again as it was In 1885 and 1910.
The Lewis strategy concerns the
immediate future and not - much
1914. It has = relationship more
directly to the coal controversy
which Is far from settled.
(RsDseAuetion RiEhts KsssrvsA.)