Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-05-12
BEHIND
The News
ByPauI
MaNon

WASHINGTON. May 12-The
w government got out Of
Montgomery Ward fast, in fact,
practically running.
Commerce Secretary Jesse
Jones could not wait until the
union election vote was an
nounced before proclaiming
tt adj aa...tl=rif=the=treaPs--
In truth, there is some reason
10 believe Mr.. Jones did not
relish going in with troops 10
GUST Mr.. Avery, in the first
place.
One report is that his AS
Sistant who went out 10 take
over the Chicago plant, carried
instructions inviting Mr.. Avery
10 run the plant for the govern
ment after its seizure.
This highly placed report
might well be true, because Mr..
Jones is a business smarty him.
self who might well have con-
ceived this adroit plan of
depriving Mr.. Avery of his
thunder.
Mr.. Avery, however, would
receive no such communications
from the government. and Atty.
Gen. Biddle, who is not a BUSH
ness Smarty, al all, rushed IN
the troops in defense Of the
War Labor Board-CIO position.
he being also much more leftist
and aageF-fer-CI0 -thaH-Mfr
Jones.
1T WAS the public clamor over
i the troop display and ousting
of Mr.. Avery which inspired
the government haste in getting
an election and getting troops
out.
1t was the inner turmoil
here which farmers bestirred
among Democratic congressman
by mail in this campaign year,
which spread official fright.
Apparently the farmer does
not necessarily hear of these
things or comment on them as
fast as the commentators.
One Mississippi congressman
got 40 letters from his small
farming district the day before
the troops were withdrawn. and
the recently unprecedented
number had been building up
each day for a week.
As the farmers tersely viewed
it, the government was using
troops to enforce Go demands
which might increase the price
of their purchases from Mont
gomery Ward
Their view forced the two re-
luctant congressional inVestiga-
tons. which Mr.. Roosevelt de-
flated by getting out in hurry.
The situation had become so
dangerous politically that many
AN authority believes OPA S
Chester Bowles was ordered 10
take the rationing off meats TO
divert and appease public. and
especially farm attention from
4 do fA,. ono
THERE was no other inner or
l. outer event TO account for
the timing of Mr.. Bowles un-
heralded action-the feed crisis
having prevailed for many
months past, and the step being
otherwise uneXplainable as sug-
gested in this column published
May S.
Mr.. Roosevelt has said the
press and radio failed 10 ex-
plain the issue properly to the
farmers, but it was explained in
this column May 2 precisely as
he explained it-namely the
only issue was an election 10
determine if Go had a majority
of employees. and if an election
had been obtained any time
since last January, the issue
would have been dissolved with
out troops or trouble.
But the situation has changed
now. and his expressed hope
that the election would still end
the difficulty seems unlikely to
be realized.
For one thing Montgomery
Ward has found il has an issue
popular among farmers. which
affords good free advertising.
For another the company can
use this popular backing in ne
gotiating the new contract with
Go 10 stand against any
agreement that would force
price increase.
For a third. the matter has
cot into politics here. as all
popular issues must. and a thor
ough if not an indignant airing
Of the legal rights involved is
likely in Congress as well as the
courts.
The issue involves all the IA
miliar elements presented by
the Go political action COM
mittee (Sidney Hillman) now
campaigning harder and more