The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-08-11
Fair Enough

Editors Note-The Star and tho News accept no
responsibility for the pevsonal views Of Mr.. Pegler
and often disagree with them much as many Of
his readers. His articles serve the good purpose Of
making people think.
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
NEW YORK, Aug. 8.-The newspaper COW
erage and discussion of the Philadelphia trans
portation strike have been so confused, so ig-
norant and dishonest that the public cannot
possibly understand the fundamental issues.
Legal rights of every worker in the country
have been ignored as though they had been
waived out of existence. And here, in dramatic
and excited clamor, American citizens a r e
reviled as though they were traitors to their
sons and brothers in the war because they
rebelled against the rule of an organization
which is an auxiliary of President Roosevelt
political party. Now, if they refuse to submit,
the leaders may go to Jail and the rank
and file rebels will be blackballed from all
employment in fragrant violation of law and of
their rights as Americans and as human be-
ings. That unlawful .ostracism would mean
poverty. hunger, dispossession and social de-
graduation for the men and their families
The recognized union in this case is that of
the transport workers. 1t is New York cell
of the communist front and notorious for its
American member who dares to raise his voice
and for its dictatorial rule. 1t is a part of
Sidney Hillman's communist front of the CLIO
and it enjoys the favor of the Department
of Justice. Francis Biddle, the attorney gen
eral, sneaked up hidden stair in Chicago
during the recent Democratic convention to
make political obeisance to Hillman, remark
ing, in the hearing of credible newspaper
reporter, never thought would do this for
any man.
Provided Propaganda
Biddle has ordered an investigation'' and
sent assistant to Philadelphia. The FBI,
which Biddle commands, has detectives on the
scene. There have been sneaking insinuations
that enemy agents may have inspired the
strike. And a dispatch to the New York Times
leads off with the gratuitpus, irrelevant and
prejudicial observation that the strike provid-
ed Berlin and Tokyo with "A Windfall of propa-
ganda.'
It is here predicted that the FBI will not
prove that enemy agents were involved n d
that Biddle will uphold the communist ad-
herents of Sidney Hillman, the man he called
on in Chicago.
The first basic truth to be emphasized is that
the workers here did not vote to accept this
union as their bargaining agent They were not
even asked whether they would accept it as
their political agent. For every IL who voted
to recognize communists, nine voted their re-
fusal. Nevertheless, the communists became
the bargaining agent for the large and almost
equal dissenting minority. In addition, these
communists, according to their rule and their
understanding with the Roosevelt administra-
ton, have presumed to represent them political
ly.
The New York Herald Tribune says that if
the strikers persisted in fouting the law, the
union they had chosen to represent them and
the fundamental tenets of Democracy, it was
essential that coercion be applied
But no law has been flouted by the strikers.
We have no law against strikes, and the reason
is that Roosevelt forbade passage of any such
law. All we have had is promise by the
union bosses that there would be no war in
dustry strikes, given in return for a promise
that no such law would be enacted That
promise has been violated 10000 times and the
whole bargain, therefore, is off. But the law
does say the workers may bargain through
agents of their own free choice, and that law
was violated in the recognition of a communist
front political organization, which they had spe-
officially rejected.
The immediate issue was the upgrading of
Negro workers. 1t is held to be undemocratic
and un-American to discriminate on grounds
| of race or religion.
| But the same authorities who decry diserimi-
nation here threaten to discriminate against
white Americans and, by making them utterly
uncomfortable, reduce them to a status even
more painful and humiiating than that of the
Negroes. Discrimination for certain reasons,
they forbid. Discrimination for their own rea-
sons they approve.
AS a political partner of the union, part
nership announced by Biddle, himself, last
wear. the whole Roosevelt administration is
arrayed on the side of one of the parties
against the other.
This condition, foreseen long ago. has de
i veloped subtly and is now in full effect.
When was very young collected elephants
and look what it led to. -. Mrs. Thomas =