Evening star., 1945-12-03

tightly allied. Another is the fa1l-
ure tthere is no other word for it,
of President Truman's Labor-Man-
agement Conference, which in
creases belief that as it seems i'm
possible for labor and management
to reach agreement it becomes the
business of the Government to find
some means to protect the public
against strikes which threaten the
security and happiness of the people
generally.
A third reason Is the growing
popular conviction that the ex-
treme pro-union policies of the
Roosevelt administration, to which
Mr.. Truman still adheres, have not
worked out for the general good
and that the time has arrived when
the one sided legislation on the
statute books should be corrected.
That feeling should be stronger
against the CIO than the other
labor factions is due, first to the
fact that the CIO leaders are vast
ly more violent and articulate than
the others; second, it is the CIO
with which the Roosevelt admin
istration formed a political alliance,
continued by Mr.. Truman.
Prompt Regulatory Bill.
Thoughtful men are not surprised
at this situation. 1t seemed newt
able that soon or late the people
would become fed up with the ex-
cesses of these professional labor
leaders and turn against the party
in which they have achieved DOM
nance. Evidence of this is seen in
recent action of the House despite
efforts of administration leaders,
in putting forward bill designed to
compel unions to adhere to their
contracts, to keep them from f1nan-
cial participation in politics and
to prevent interference with inter-
state shipments Of goods.
Several things are true about this
measure: Cd it is the most drastic
regulatory proposal made in long
time; CD 1t seems aimed directly
at the CIO and is not being opposed
by either John L. Lewis or the AFL;
90 its chances, at the moment,
seem better than even.
Clearly, If this bill goes through,
Mr.. Truman will have to make an
important decision. II he approves
it, he will offend the C1O leaders,
their organs and spokesmen-with
whom his political agent, the not
very smart Robert Hannegan, has
tied himself and the administra-
ton up. But If he vetoes 1t, he
publicly proclaims himself as sub
servient to Philip Murray and Sid
ney Hillman. ,...o
Though, concededly, the choice
would be painful one, there are
several reasons the President is ex-
pected not to yield to CIO pressure,
either to veto the bill or. as the late
MIR. Roosevelt did with similar legis-
lation, use his personal influence to
kill it In the Senate committee. This
belief is largely based on the fact
that, in the last few months, the
CIO has so sunk in public esteem
that some Of the most astute poll
ticians regard complete identif1ca-
ton with it today as more Of a LA
bility than an asset.
Resentment Cumulative.
Certainly it Is true that the bully
ing tactics, the shrill charges and
claims and the obvious disregard of
the national interests in their quest
for greater advantages which char
acterize these CIO professionals, has
revolted many people who were more
or less complacent about Govern
ment support in the early Roosevelt
days and during the war. Their re-
sentiment today is cumulative and
so strong that many believe any
open subservience of the kind Mr.
Roosevelt so often showed-and got
away with-easily might prove po-
litically fatal to Mr.. Truman.
In brief, the country is becoming
increasingly intolerant of the CIO.
its Political Action Committee and
its puffed up leaders. They have
overplayed their hand, overesti-
mated the patience of the American
people and their own Importance.
With the other labor factions anXi-
ous to see them come cropper and
hostility in Congress at new high,
fhey have themselves created a sit