Detroit evening times., 1945-11-14
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
PeeIer


~
COME Americans have been
- disappointed in President
Truman's remarks on the con-
duct of the union movement
since the shooting war ended.
AS a measure of cheer TO
them. and they include millions
Of workers, / would ask how
long IL has been since a presi-
dent of the United States said
anything like the following:
Labor (by which he meant
the union executives) must find
ways within Its own ranks Of
cutting down absenteeism. re-
ducing turnover. avoiding tnris-
dictional disputes and the Wild
cat strikes.
There can be no moral or
economic justification for stop
ping production while rival or
ganizations contend with each
other.
STF labor and management find
Il that they cannot come to
agreement a way must be found
Of resolving their differences
without stopping production.
Some Industrial strife was
expected by the American people
In this period Of adjustment. But
I'm sure they never expected
anything like the amount Of
strife which has been threat
ened.
Our country Is worried about
our Industrial relations. II has
a right to he. The worry IL re-
fiected In the halls of Congress
In the form of all kinds Of legis-
iation.
Representatives Of labor and
management are meeting here
10 settle differences In the public
interests. On this conference
have been based many high
hopes of the American people.
"The outcome of the confer
ence rests with management and
labor, but as In all other public
affairs the outcome also rests
with the American people"
Here we find, for the first
time in II years. recognition by
the President of the people, 7"
"the public" the public inter-
ests. and our country
party with supersedIng inter-
est in the colossal brawls and
appalling vandalism Of organized
armies Of rioters and the Hit
lerian terror of the picket mobs
and nlght-riding union vigi-
-lanteS
Mr.. Truman plainly recognize.
"the public" as a power above
all the union bosses.
T'HFRE are n~V. az lavish
Il estimate. ten million union
members A large proportion
Of them hate the union bosses
who under privileges granted
by the late President Roosevelt.
rounded them up in the manner
OF the African slave traders.
Even II II were granted that
they were all willing members
they would still be a minority
Of the public" and the Ameri-
can people "
That many Of them would
gladly escape IL they could Is
proved by thousands Of union
contracts with employers calling
for the closed shop. maintenance
Of membership and the check
of of dues
The union masters do not
trust these subjects. The masters
admit this IN their negotiations
for these yellow dog clauses and
MIR Truman knows the desper-
ate hatred Of millions Of the SUBJ
lugated citizens toward the
MoreSchis, the Petrillos and the
Dan TobinS who presume 10
speak for them hut live luXuri-
ouSly and royalty aloof and
despiSe their petition as the
bleatings Of sheep
But know the American
people do not like II. the Presi-
dent said and here he was
speaking Of the patie
wretched. worried and abused
ma aiority Of the nation COM
pletely outside the unions which
only recently has begun 70 real
q ize that il exists and has greater
powers than all the organized
wreckcrs and Sluggers
II can lick then IN the streets
with tire chains and clubs If 10
comes 10 that and it can lick
them in Congress, as President
Truman very plainly appre-
hended.
Moreover the nonunion ma
iority Will constitute our coun-
try and can beat them al the
(. polls all the way from town
elections 10 l94s
THE late Roosevelt invariably
Il spoke OF the unions and
more particularly the brutali-
tartan HitlerS of the a F Of l..
and the Go as "labuh' and con-
trived for his own benefit false
premise that all American work.
ers were either members Of
these Incorriglble national gangs
or. failing that. were non MEM
berS only because they we're in
timidatcd by evil capitalists
These capitalists. whose sons
fell in abundant share AS COR
poralS and lieutenants in the
war. he described As tories a
m name for some of his own