Evening star., 1944-01-20
Ilewis-Green Meetino
Revealed; AFL Chiefs
Attack Labor Draft
3y the Associated Press.

Attack Labor Draft
BY the Associated Press.
MIAMI, Fla. Jan. 20.-After an
|eight-year estrangement, John
L. Lewis and William Green have
met secretly on the question of
Ireadmitting Mr.. Lewis United
Mine Workers to the AFL, it can
be revealed today.
The AFL president and Mr.. Lewis
parted company when the latter
founded the CIO in 1885. The
break was confirmed a year or so
later when Mr.. Lewis had Mr.. Green
expelled from the miners union.
After that, their speaking terms were
epithets at long range.
The ultimate results and the de-
tails of their meeting remain to be
disclosed. 1t cannot be called a
reconciliation, at least not yet. Mr..
Green refuses to discuss it. This
much is known: The meeting was
held In Washington recently, strictly
on an of -the-record basis. The
conference was not sought by Mr..
Green. 1t was proposed either by
Mr.. Lewis or by an AFL inter-
mediary who was interested in ex-
pediting the return of Mr.. Lewis to
the Federation. 1t is but one evil
dence OF great pressure being
brought to bear in Mr.. Lewis favor
not only by his friends on the AFL
Executive Council. but by leaders of
AFL unions who are pressuring the
council, now in session here.
One evidence of such pressure is
a letter sent to council members by
an official of the AFL United Auto
mobile Workers, who said manv
members OF the CIO United Automo-
bile Workers. the worlds largest un-
ion, held Mr. Lewis in great respect
and that his return to the AFL
would start an AFL movement
among that union OF more than a
million members.
Civilian Draft Hit.
In blast at proposed national
service legislation the AFL Executive
Council asserted yesterday that. AL
though it had submitted voluntarily
to number of wartime controls. the
Federation never will surrender
what it called the basic freedom of
American workers"
A council statement said the AFT
has consistently supported every
sound measure designed to win the
war in the shortest possible time >
Ihen, in an oblique criticism OF
Communist dominated organjza
tions, the statement added: Unlike
other groups, whose opposition to
Naziism and Fascism is of recent
and belated origin. the AFL from
the very beginning vigorously and
uncompromisingly denounced total
itarian dictatorship and recognized
Its basic hostility to democracy. .
U. S.. Production Cited.
The one thing the AFL has not
surrendered and never will sur
render Is the basic freedom of Amer
lcan workers. Fundamentally, thi.
is war between freedom and
slavery, a war Of free workers
against slave workers. We believe
that In freedom there is strength
The amazing speed with which free
American workers have won the
battle OF war production against the
enemy within two years upholds the
truth of that principle"
The council received a telegram
from the War Labor Board asking
assistance in terminating a strike
OF molders on the Northwest Pacific
Coast. Mr. Green said the council
directed him to take immediate
steps to cooperate with interna-
tional officers of the molders' union
in sending the men back to work
He pointed out. however, that they
are on strike legally, because they
took vote under the Connolly
Smith Act. There is an instance
where the law promoted a strike" "
Green Holds Balance.
One important angle Of the Lewis
Green meeting is that Mr.. Green
held the balance of power on the
miners application at the council
meeting in Chicago last August. A
motion to accept the UNIV back
into the federation on the same
basis on which it left failed then
for want of majority Mr.. Green
could have broken the 6-6 tie. but
he did not vote.
There are conflicting interpreta-
tions, however, of the effect of that
motion. Some who voted no" say
the motion would not have ex-
pedited the miners return at all,
but blocked It, They point out that
1t would have set specific terms for
Mr.. Lewis return, and therefore
left no room for negotiation These
individuals deny that their no
vote means that they do not want
the UNIV reinstated The vote
nevertheless. gave some clue to the
dlnerenceS OF oplrlOn on the Lewis
application.
Terms Are Key Point.
Mr. Lewis of course, can get back
into the federation overnight on the
federation's terms The only ques.
ton is whether he comes back or
his own terms. These are: Take
me as am: I take you as you are
That means that the jurisdictional
issues of the UMW's sprawling Dis
trict so would be negotiated only
after Mr.. Lewis was readmitted ano
became party to the negotiations
on the inside. Many in the AFI
believa District so should be carved
up first.
The language of the AFL consti-
tuition and of the convention resolu-
ton which empowered the executive
council to act finally is strongly
weighted against Mr.. Lewis terms
but the pressure in his favor is Sc
great that the result hangs in the
balance. One council member re-
marked today, Il wouldn't bet q
nj aStI,ar I