Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-11-21
BEHIND
THE News
BY Paul
MaIIon

WASHINGTON. Nov. 20
w Even the Democratic in
siders in Congress are waiting
TO see how Mr.. Roosevelt
handles the complex and con-
fiicting forces behind him in the
election. the radicals and con-
servatives. particularly what
power CIO will have hereafter.
He started out rather lefty
by appointing Paul Porter, the
Democratic publicity man, TO
succeed Chairman Fly of the
Federal Communications COM
mission. But he managed to
keep James Byrnes. as assistant
president, and thereby balance
the picture.
The resignation of probably
the ablest civil servant in the
government. John r. Steelman
as had of the Cancellation serv-
ice was announced as due to his
desire to get out and make
some money.
But both this and the resig-
nation of William II. Davis as
chairman of the labor board re-
Elected in many inner opinions
the difficulties ahead in settling
labor disputes. (Mr. Davis had
been brushed around consider
ably by the White House. or
thought he had and wanted to
get out for some time
OBVIOUSLY these two jobs
" are not open to Go ap-
pointees but the perso
character of the men. especially
whether they lean left or right.
will be important. With the
AFL strongly anti-Communist
and anti-radical no doubt the
balance will have to be pre-
served in the two top jobs to
handle future labor disputes.
The President succeeded in
getting William II. Davis, chair
man, and the other public
members to stay on the War
Labor Board, but is losing John
r. Steelman, probably the ablest
civil servant in the government,
from the labor Cancellation
service.
The inside on the Davis mat
ter is that he and his associates
had felt somewhat abused by
the White House and had been
wanting to get out for many
months past. Steelman's friends
say he wanted to retire to make
some money in private business,
but II is also true that Steel
mans bureau had lost much Of
its Importance since the labor
board was set up.
Many an expert on the labor
relations subject, however,
thinks the whole situation of
the attempted, then recalled
designations of the representa-
tives of the public and the
withdrawal of Steelman. reflect
difficulties anticipated in gov
eminent handling OF labor
disputes.
TNIE CIO has given out some
l. big figures on how many men
it elected to the Senate and
House, but their claims include
many men who would have been
elected without their support.
Apparently they succeeded in
electing about "a to the House,
and were unsuccessful in about
90 contests. They got seven VIC
tories in the Senate against five
defeats. This will only make
them directly minor bloc in
both houses, If they can really
rally that many to function as
a bloc.
What real effect they had in
the election is being debated by
the congressman. In Ohio. for
instance, CLOS Bender won by
275,OOO votes and Senator Taft
without CIO backing won by
My 10000.
North Dakota's Senator Nye,
however, attributes his defeat
directly to CLIO, but obviously
the. results were not anything
like the sweep which the Go
made in the Democratic pri-
maries in the spring, where
they secretly organized
INCIDENTALLY the Go
i chieftains, Sidney Hillman
and Philip Murray, are sup
posed to be preparing TO go
abroad. rather than concen-
trating on developing their po-
litical power, Whatever it is TO
be. They are TO head an inter-
national labor conference meet
ing Jan. i.
Whether they will continue
their aggressive political action
secretly or openly for the next
congressional elections is what
concerns most congressman.
Distributed by King Features synd.. Inc.
Reproduction In whole or In part
.,rtr,iv nrnhfbfted