The Wilmington morning star., 1944-10-09

CIO-PACHas Large Place
In Presiid ential Campaign
BY RICHARD ToMKINs

7 . <
every presidential campaign is
swirling in good measure IN 1914
around the CLIO Political Action
Committee headed by Sidney Hill
man.
"CIO-PAC'' is sharing the po'
litical headlines with the Republi'
cans and the Democrats. ~
Hillman himself summed up the
Juror in these words before a spe'
cial house committee:
1.-THE formation of this commit
tee has been criticized and con-
demmed in some quarters as q
novel and 9 dangerous departure
from the traditional pattern OF
American political life. It has beer
suggested that the participation Of
organized labor in politics is an
alien practice, inconsistent with
American concepts of the demo
cratic process. Nothing could be
further from the truth. -
The C1O-PAC and its collateral
organization, the National Citizens
Political Action Committee, got be-
hind the sevelt-Truman. TICKET
and the Republicans opened fire.
Gov. John w. Bricker, Republic
can nominee for vice president,
said that CIO-PAC Seeks to dom.
mate our government with radical
and communistic schemes. !"
Says Hillman: e.tt*.
IT am opposed to communism
because 1 am opposed to all tota.
itarianism, even in industry"
The debate goes on in this fash
1oh: '-a'.-.
The PAC is "communistic-e ngi-
neered from the top down. repre-
sentative Church (R.-1ll.) a
The PAC is an enormous dang
err to labor interests Senator
Bridges (R.-N.H.).
1--WE conceive Of our task as that
of political education. To. show
people how they can, participate
in deciding the issues which face
the nation and the world in their
own best interest. To assist them
in using their ballot intelligently
and effectively. p. We are interest
ed in assuring the largest possible
ballot in 1944"-Hillman. -:
What are the methods of this
labor organization that has become
an issue in the political campaign?
Now does it operate in its east
And street headquarters.
Hillman is in and out Of the Of
flee. There's never a dull moment
Ideas pohr in Were. over-burden-
ed with ideas,'' says, Ping Ferry,
director Of public relations.
Everybody in the office-75 in
al-is pamphleteer. A pamphlet
comes out Of all. sorts Of chewing
over-a synethesis of ideas concont-
ed from IS minds. $50.
Volunteers come in, eager to
have finger in a pamphlet.
All are militant. Get out the
vote! A small vote will make the
chances look very GRIM" Ferry
said; .'if 50,0o0,0 900 exercise the
franchise, we cannot lose"
So the drive, he explains, is to
needle 1.-THE people" with the ne
cessity to register. to vote, mot
for the PAC but for themselves -
IF the PAC is non-partisan, why
is it supporting the democratic
ticket" the interviewer asks.
Hillman answers,
cit is my feeling that there
would have been no endorsement
of the national ticket if Willkie had
been nominated"
Hillman sees both Wendell Will
kie and Roosevelt as having q
''broad approach" to the problems
of the day and says 1--WE didn't
take any position until Wii1kie wa:
eliminated 5e
Up to then, Hillman insists, thu
PAC program was purely educa
tional "centering our. effort on /;
campaign to register every eligibl,
voter, whether Republican or Dem
ocrat."
Nov we are political, becaus,
We had to, make. a decision" Hill
man asserts. Now we must con
slider the Importance of seeking t.
it that Dewey is not elected BY
default. Dewey has nothing in hi.
background to equip him as com
mander7in-chief.'' ,.'''.
To establish lasting peace, Hill
man says, is the major point il
the PAC program today; after tina
assurance of full postwar employ
ment and production. '-'
Thereupon the immediate objec
tive, is the reelection Of Roosevelt
That aim carries with it an ava.
lanche of pamphlets, leaflets, post
ers, press releases, radio broad
casts, moves, public speakers
door-bell ringers and other media
The campaign literature in
cludes cartoons like one depictini
Dewey as Charlie Mccarthy Of
former President Hoover's lap;
Dewey thumbing a. ride, in, til,
wrong direction as, !, a war tanl
moves towards victory.
The other side is shown in, quo
tations from Roosevelt's messages
"A typical one: and after this wal
IS Won, we must be, prepared t.
move forward, to new goals o
human happiness and wellbeing. ,
The PACr has distributed 40 0l)