The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-01-31
Today e Tomorrow
By WALTER LIPPMANN


injustice the other day when I named him
along with Mr.. Green and Mr. Murray as an
opponent of national service act Senator
Vandenberg feels that his position differs from
| that of the leaders of labor in that he wishes
to pass law against strikes in war indus
tries. They, of course, do not want a law
against strikes, preferring to rely upon their
own pledges not to promote or permit strikes
Senator Vandenberg's objection is we'll TAX
en-, must admit, since he is willing to legis-
late for the purpose Of maintaining the war in
dustries But I hasten to add that while
agree that strikes should be outlawed in war
industries and replaced by compulsory arbi-
tration Senator Vandenberg has not under
stood the problem if he thinks that we need a
national service act simply to prevent strikes.
1t is true that strikes, which are an obvious
scandal in war time, are continual reminder
of the difference between the position of the
soldier and of the civilian. They have, there
fore, become the principal talking point But
our trouble, both practical and moral, is Deep
err and wider than the strikes and we must
try to understand it.
Most of the present difficulty arises, says
one writer, from the lack of consistent
labor policy that is clearly understood by the
rank and file and vigorously enforced by the
government. Now, this lack of policy would
not be overcome by national service law"
But the truth, submit, is that while the lack
of labor policy would not be made up SIM
ply by passing a national service law, no ad-
minstration could have workable wartime
labor policy without national service law.
1t is true that Secretary Perkins, Mr.. Nc
Mutt and the President playing by ear have
,nf and hox hnl To- or
policy. But an administration manned by Sem
ator Vandenberg, Governor Dewey, Mr. Will
kie, Mr.. Eric Johnston and any one else you
choose to name could not produce consistent
and effective war labor policy without serv-
ice act The statesmen of no other country
have been able to have labor policy without
service act; what then makes Senator Van
denberg think he could?
The reason why war labor policy cannot
be had without universal service act is this:
when the demand for labor far exceeds the
supply, you cannot stabilize wages while every
civilian is free to work or to quit. When you
cannot compel men to work in the war indus
tries which need them, you have to bid for
their services. Otherwise, you may not get
them. This is what pushes up wage rates.
This is what makes it impossible to refuse
wage demands in essential industries like coal
mining and the railroads. And this is why,
when war work wages are held rigid the war
plants are unable to recruit all the labor they
need whereas unessential services which can
bid higher or offer other attractions, get the
labor.
Until this fundamental condition is cured.
there cannot be and there will not be war
labor policy The law of supply and demand
will defeat it.
If Senator Vandenberg would study the labor
situation with an open mind, he would soon
see that forbidding strikes, though desirable.
does not reach the real trouble. I have before
me data from officials whose one concern is
to equip the armed forces, and the facts, If
they were generally understood would be con-
elusive to any unprejudiced mind.
According to these data, there sixty
seven important labor markets in the country
where there is an acute labor shortage. There
may be plenty Of workers in other areas, and
even in many of these areas, but, If you can
not lure them into the war plants with ever
rising wages or compel them to 60 IN by a
service law enough of them do not get into the
war plants and the essential industries. Los
Angeles, to take an example, is our most i'm
portant single center of aircraft production:
in the Los Angeles region more than one-thlrd
of all transportation equipment is idle in car
barns and garages because it is impossible to
hire enough mechanics and operators. Yet
without decent transportation in place like
Los Angeles it is hard to keep people at
their work. The result is absenteeism, turn
over and quitting.
The disquieting fact is that with the worst
of the fighting still ahead OF us our civilian
labor force is declining. This is not due to the
Army draft. It is due to the return OF men
and women to unessential occupations, and
even to no work at all. From July to Novem-
Der, 1943, the civilian labor force declined
from more than $1,000, 900 to less than ST.
900, 900.
During this period nearly 100000 women
quit working in essential jobs There is now
no way to get them bask. They cannot be
lured back by higher wages. They cannot De
compelled to work. There are now ll,OO00OO
women who do not live in farm areas who
do not have children under fourteen years OF
age who are not employed. Yet there are
shortages of labor, and many women are
needed for direct war work and to release
men who are badly needed in foundry ana
forge shops, in coal mines, on the railroads.
in aircraft plants and many other places.
Without the power to compel people TO go 10
work there is no way Of getting the LABOR
that is needed at the places where it IS need
ed How could there be under volunteer
system in which wages are frozen? IT man
ar a woman cannot be lored by profit or
compelled by law how do you put him or
her to work?
To win this wer we must not only dispense
the armies of the enemy but discredit his
IDEAS and his pretensions. Resisting that which
rs evil will certainly not suffice unless we can
finally overcome evil with good.-Presloent
Everett Case of Colgate University.
The control that Hirnrnler and the Gestapo