Evening star., 1944-04-12


Stabilizer Vinson, Price Admins
traitor Bowles, Food Administrator
Jones and Chairman of the Wa
Labor Board Davis-or whether HI
will buckle under the pressure O
the organized labor lobby-particu-
larly the CIO-and permit the Lit
tie Steel formula to be broken down
thus opening the door for rush o!
wage increases and nullifying the
whole anti-inf1ation fight.
1t is a decision vital to the whole
country and it should be clearl,
understood that it will be made by
the President personally and not by
the War Labor Board, which off,
cially is handling the cases On sc
basic an economic issue, compli.
Gated with political possibilitie:
closely affecting the fourth-tern
effort, 1t is absurd to pretend thai
this board will act without advance
and accurate knowledge of the
Presidents desires. Their decision
will be made in accord with his
wish and, whatever public pretense
may be made, every informed person
knows it.
Responsibility Is Presidents.
If the President firmly supports
his aides, refusing not only to ac-
quiesce in the emasculation of the
Little Steel formula, but in any
form of compromise by which it
can be detoured, he should get full
credit for a courageous, nonpolitical
action. But, If he yields, either in
direct disregard of the formula or
by some ingenious device in giving,
as was done in the railroad and
coal cases, more than the unions
had asked, then the blame should
be placed squarely where it be-
longs-on him.
1t seems a tough spot for the
President. A decision favoring the
unions undoubtedly would have
dangerous economic consequences;
decision against them might have
disastrous political consequences.
For example, it is pointed out that
If Mr. Roosevelt is to be reelected
he must carry New York. The larg-
est organized group of New York
voters is the American Labor party,
which recently was taken over by
the Communists, which claims (and
has made good on the claim to be
able to deliver 100000 votes in a
solid block.
1t is now headed by Mr.. Samuel
Hillman, personal friend of Mr..
Roosevelt and one of his earliest
fourth-term boosters. MIR. Hillman
also is chairman of the CIO Com
mittee for Political Action, which
already has a campaign fund of
S750.O00. was recently given a clear
bill of health, so far as its use is
concerned, by Attorney General
Biddle and is all out for the fourth
term.
Labor Support Called Vital.
MIR. Biddle, it will be recalled, Is
the gentleman who some time ago,
in urging that New Deal politics be
carried on as usual during the war,
described the New Deal as "a polit-
ical party tied up with the labor
movement under an able political
leader" Last week at the New York
meeting when Mr.. Hillman was
elected head of the ALP, a resolu-
ton was passed pledging full sup
port to Mr.. Roosevelt for a fourth
term but simultaneously calling for
Immediate modification" of the
Little Steel formula. This is merely
an echo of the demands ef Mr.
Murray of the CIO and Mr.. Green
OF the AFL. AS Mr.. Roosevelt's
political future hinges upon the
solldity Of the labor support, his
difficulty is obvious
1t is just one of those jams made
inevitable by his candidacy, and his
record of yielding to labor pressure
ig reason for hpljeyinu he will vial =