Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-12-30
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook'
PegIer

TliE release from prison Of
George Browne and Willie
Bioif is the fulfillment of a
routine bargain between public
prosecutors and criminals who
squeal on their partners in
crime.
They in their turn had been
betrayed by their old friend,
Joseph Schenck, the Hollywood
moving picture magnate who
also received lenity for this
service to the community.
The six Chicago underworld
gangsters and one member of
the Hague New Jersey mob
who were sent to prison by the
testimony of Browne and Bioff
would appear TO be the ulti-
mat, losers as there seems TO
be nobody whom they can turn
III.
They lost their appeals only
last week.
With these two recent devel-
opments 1t might seem TO the
casual reader that a very bad
situation IN labor organization
had been reformed.
That Is not so. however, for
men who tolerated these two
particular crooks still are
powerful in the American Fed
Grafton of Labor and in the
Roosevelt party and are al
lowed 10 pose AS leaders and
defenders of the a mer can
worker.
And every attempt TO enact
federal law correcting defects
in labor administration which
made possible their perfidies
has been INSTRUCTED by the
ooseXelt following in the
Senate.
WILLIAM GREEN. president
w of the American Fedora
ton Of Labor, used the power
nfhiS- office to uphold Browne
against group OF legitimate
workmen in an evil ST. Louis
case.
He sat with Browne in the
executive council or cabinet Of
the AF'L long after Browne had
been made notorious by inde-
pendent newspaper investiga-
ton
b Dan Tobin. President RooSe-
pelt,s particular friend, wt1o
was host TO Roosevelt az the
-eeaf4Aaiotts episode m Washing
ton in October when the Prcsi-
dent made his flippant cam
paign Grafton and two young
naval officers were beaten up.
also sat with Browne IN the
executive council.
| am able To say fatty that
Tobin knew Brownies union was
a dirty racket and that. like any
Tammany or Hague or Kelly
politician. he refrained from eN-
posing or opposing Browne IN a
spirit Of live and let live
He let Browne alone because
he anticipated that If he mo-
Tested him. Browne would call
attention 10 similar characters
and evils in Tobin's union OF the
teamSters.
DR6WANEt : general counsel
- for the union was Joseph
Padway who similarly serves
Tohins union and the harteHd-
erS and waters UNION among
others,
Psdway also j. friend Of
Roosevelt and has been honored
by him.
That he could have been I'M
aware Of the character Of
Browne and Bioff who was.
from his youth, a common un-
derworld bum, thief and white
SLAYER, is an assumption which
belittles his Intelligence.
TTIE discouraging fact is that
L not a single leader or boss
OF the American union move
ment took the initiative or any
action against these men.
Green, on-the contrary. SC
lected Browne 10 investigate
racketeering.
And when. finally, there could
no longer be any pretenSe that
Browne was a victim of punish
ment without trial. the AFL
did not have the decency 10
throw him out of the executive
council by positive action but
eaSed him out by abolishing the
vice presidency which he held.
Many remedial laws have
been proposed none of which.
by any stretch of the imagina-
ton. could be said by any hon.
est man 10 threaten any right
or interest of the rank and file
worker.
GONE of them would, how
- ever, impair the powers and
stop the graft of union bosses
and might curtail the fees OF