Evening star., 1944-11-19

and locally that 1t can be taken for
granted that organized labor politics
Is here to stay and must be reckoned
with by politicians and independent
voters.
The influence of this new pressure
group will be felt not only in the 1916
congressional and the 1948 presidential
primaries and elections but also in the
day-to-day administration in many
cities, in the State and national Legisla-
lures, in executive and judicial appoints
ments and perhaps even in the world
peace settlements.
The immediate future of this new,
effective political force will be decided
this week at the annual convention of
the Congress OF Industrial Organizations
at the Stevens Hotel in Chicago. Top
CIO officials are proud of their plans
and craftsmanship in creating, in little
over year, a political mechanism that
has demonstrated that it can determine
the balance of power between the DEM
ocratic and Republican parties in many
cities, congressional districts and States,
and the convention undoubtedly will ap-
prove what has been done by and for
the CIO membership.
Decision on PAC Vital.
But the tipoff will be the convention
vote on whether the PAC shall be a
continuously operating machine, pow
cred by adequate funds, and particularly
uyhothor ~ poJdui, tha n,t;oro1
executive director, and the regional di-
rectors shall be retained as permanent
and paid officials. If the present Offices
are closed, the CIO will have the task
Of rebuilding an organization in 1916
and 1913; if Baldwin, the regional di-
rectors, the research stats and the
press agents are kept, then something
new, indeed, will have been added to
American politics.
Indications are that the organization,
reduced, of course, in personnel and
office space, will be retained. As a
functiorflng machine 1t will be a symbol
to office holders and ONCE seekers that
organized labor must be included in
policy making and administration.
Gratitude in politics is short-lived; the
best insurance for consideration is
show of present and prospective
strength.
Because the CIO convention has not
yet met and approved plans that will
be submitted by its Executive Commit
tee, CIO and CIO-PAC officials decline
to comment for publication on their
immediate plans for the PAC and the
more highbrow and less labor INSPIRED
National Citizens Political Action Com
mittee. q
Long Range Obiectiyes Stand.
The long-range objectives, however.
rczlatDst sthssaepaesssvher hoGLQa7AG
was established year ago iaSt 5g z
the winning Of the war and the peace,
full employment and greater participa-
tion by workers in politics. Ns
Seated in his almost bare Office in
New York City, Baldwin outlined what
he thought the twin PACS had accom-
plished in the recent campaigns and
what they hoped to accomplish in the
future.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
than his a years. is an old and jealous
New Dealer. He Is not and has not
been q labor union of1icial He came
to the CIO-PAC after serving three
years as head of the extremely New
Dealish Farm Security Administration.
Before that he was in the Rural Reset
tlement Administration and for five
years before that had been an assistant
to Henry A. Wallace when Wallace was
Secretary of Agriculture. One of the
f0w decorations on the walls of his Office
Is two-page letter from President
Roosevelt praising him in almost extrav-
agant terms for his work as head Of the
FSA. He is a Virginian by birth and
left an electrical supply business to come
to join the New Deal in 1888.
"Our plans for these campaigns" he
said, were really very simple. We gave
the people an understanding of the is
sues, and urged them to vote. This
also meant that the people, millions of
them, had to register and go to the
polls. Our greatest obstacle was polit-
ical apathy, and if we had not overcome
it we would have played right into the
hands Of the Dewey crowd The Presi-
dents speech at the Teamsters' Union
dinner was the turning point in this
fight against apathy. 1t caused interest
and discussion and threw the Republi-
cans OF their stride. They completely
changed their strategy, which had been
based on apathy. Dewey started swing
ing wild. This in turn created more
interest and discussion and caused some
resentments. Our task became easier.
Our job ahead Is to break down the