The Wilmington morning star., 1944-01-26
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

NEW YORK,-Looking back over some de-
velopments on the socalled labor front during
the last 10 years one is conscious that this
program has caused a loosening Of discipline
or responsibility We saw it in the organiza-
t1onal riots Of the CLIO unions in motors and
steel and in the decline of dignity in high
public office and the resort to abusive Ian
guage in important speeches Of the day. In
defense justification of the public disorders,
some of which were bloody, it was recalled
that in their time, the great soulless corpora
tons had hired spies and sluggers and even
private armies but obviously this record did
not justify counter-me assures of the same kind
of men ambitious to create a strong labor
organization. On the contrary, these disturb
ances, having the passive approval, at least
of the national government, tended to break
down the authority of government and the sit
uation certainly has not been helped by
series of Supreme Court decisions which flout
morals and mock government by comforting
on certain groups special privilege to violate
the plain rights of the rest OF the community.
In those early days and indeed, down to
now, the tenor of many important public
speeches has been Incorporate and provoca-
tive rather than constructive and this tone
has been echoed in replies from the political
opposition This all has had an unsteadying eff
feet on our people, although, at first, it was
enjoyable as pleasant change from the rather
bumbling talk of Presidents Harding Coolidge
and Hoover. Mr.. StimSon, the secretary OF
war, recognized this result in his statement
to the military affairs committee of the Senate
pleading for passage of a law to permit the
draft of civilian labor as means of prevent
ing strikes and holding workers to their tasks
in production for war. Not being in politics,
however, he refrained from tracing this ir-
responsibility back to its original causes.
The condition certainly is unhealthy but it
should be durable by dignified, conscientious
and able leadership in politics and labor. Even
the present government, itself, should be able
to moderate it's methods and language and al
though. in the union, and old monuments,
tired men, most of them, with old political
debts weighing them down, are unequal to the
new task there must be some younger men
and women who win leadership and the
confidence of their own subjects and the whole
country Too many of the old veterans OF
early STRUGGLES have developed into monarchs,
regarding their personal families as royal fam
lilies, themselves as kings and their sons as
princes, born to succeed them or anyway 10
live, during their time, as high-salarled royal
parasites on the rank and file. Sound honest
union men will admit readily IN private ana
some even yearn for laws winch "oulo piace
responsibility on unionism as means OF
strengthening their hands in controlling the
actions of their people. They will admit, but
only in private. that this would be good Tor
labor and for the country but not yet IS any
of these men ready to say so in public on IN
any important conference for fear that ne Will
be called reactionary and traitor
This time of the year is especially trying
and this is an uncommonly trying year. Along
toward February, all men are depressed by
the weather. the darkness of the days and the
Inconvenience of winter. Many never see their
homes in daylight in the depth OF winter ex-
cept on weekends and their daylight hours
are spent under artificial light at tasks which
twang nerves. Sons are away, God knows
where. some already dead, thousands are in
battle. and hearts are swollen to bursting with
worry and suppressed foreboding and woe.
Taxes and other debts add to the strain and
on the other side of the picture of war workers
souandering unaccustomed wealth is the pic
ture of families hardly able to get by after
their deductions and considering the high cost
of living and quartered in miserable accom-
modations among strangers far from home
So far, no really direct and eloquent appeal
has been addressed to the individual pride,
self-respect and patriotism of the people as
Americans. The appeals that have been made
in the form of angry criticism of one group
or class with the idea of heartening another
4