Evening star., 1944-08-20
The Nev Books
Labor Boron
By James A. WechSler. (Mor.

/ VII
By James A. Wechsler. (Mor-
| roD.)
Despite the fact that this book
about Labor Leader John L. Lewis
Is called by its author "a portrait"
there is not a great deal of personal
information in. 1t. For the most
part, it consists of accounts of union
battles as fought in the union high
commands. 1t devotes only a few
pages to Mr.. Lewis early life and
family background, and as to his
character 1t holds to simple
formula. Mr.. Lewis has wanted
power, and still wants it, says Mr..
Wechsler. That has been the spir-
itual source Of all his work for
labor.
Carrying out this Interpretation,
Mr.. Wechsler tells his readers
that Mr.. Lewis formed his labor
organization on the model of a po-
litical machine and used machine
tactics in doing so. His great con-
Germ as a labor leader, moreover,
has been to advance himself. For
example, in his work among the
miners, Mr.. Wechsler declares, he
has never interested himself in
remedying the deplorable housing
and educational conditions which
obtain in most mining towns, or in
any other welfare measures, but
has consistently limited his fights
to the Immediately popular tactics
Of wage raises and hour decreases.
He has endangered the whole labor
movement, moreover, by his in
transigent attitudes, which, in Mr..
Wechsler's view, have been unneces-
sary.
This uncomplimentary view of
Mr.. Lewis ambitions, however, does
not carry the expected implication
that the great man is cynic. He
is nothing SO definable, in Mr.
Wechsler's view He is more of a
mystic, man imbued with aware
ness of his superior abilities, but
unoriented to the world around him
and driven by powerful emotions
rather than by reasoning. These have
always been the Lewisan character
istics. in Mr.. Wechsler's interpre-
tation, and, as the labor czar has
grown older. they have become in
tensified. The gap between him
and society has grown instead of
lessened; the dependence on emo
ton instead of reason has become
confirmed At present, Mr.. Lewis.
as Mr.. Wechsler sees him, is an
embittered old man talking pretty
much to himself.
An interesting chapter of the book
is devoted to the likeness which Mr..
Wechsler sees between Mr. Lewis
and President Roosevelt. Not only
are both men eager for power in the
personal sense, he says, but both are
consummate politicians, and neith-
er likes to work with any except
manitestly inferior subordinates. In
deed, Mr.. Wechsler feels that one
of the flaws of the labor movement
is that Mr.. Lewis has filled most OF
the places in the lower ranks with
unintelligent apostles of violence
whose only qualification is unques-
tioning devotion to their chief He
does not think. however, that Mr.
Lewis will deliver the mining vote
in the coming election. The miners,
he says, are loyal in union matters,
but will probably vote as they please
Mr.. Wechsler was labor reporter
for PM for a number of years and
now heads that newspapers Wash
ington bureau.
Invasion Diov
By Richard Tregaskis. RAN
dom.)
There is no question that Richard
Tregaskis, when he sets oft to re-
port war, uses the most efficient
method. He goes in with the SOL
diers. He sees what they see. He
takes the same chances as drafted
GI Joe. That he stopped bullet
with his head as happened in the
invasion OF Italy. is more or less in
cidental. The important thing is
that he was where bullets could be
stopped by American heads. that he
W easo POi tAAiS lllC lOlll tIlC
fighting and not from the rear or on
the day after That makes his story
Of what our private soldiers go
through authentically so. and not so
Just by process of creative imagina-
ton. however vivid and effective.
1t it something more. too The re-
viewer has read many correspond
ents' accounts of battles. and while
most Of them have contained some
unforgettable bit of description of
action, few have presented a pic
ture Of the battle as whole The
reader is confused as to what is
going on. Ralph Ingersoll. in his
The Battle Is the PAyof1," man
aged to convey clear view of the
whole action in which he was taking
part. and the achievement remains
notable in the reviewers mind for its
rarity. Mr. Tregaskis has done the
same thing. He has reported the
movement of the fight in its en-
tirety, while keeping vivid the reac-
tions of single man engaged in it.
+ This is true of not just one fight,
but a number. How it feels to ad-
vance under fire, how it feels to see
ones comrades dropping dead or
mutilated, how it feels to be cor
nered in desperate position with
the enemy artillery knowing your
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