Evening star., 1945-02-21

ing for a labor leader or lobbyist
or, for that matter an American
citizen-to be proud of. On the con-
trary, 1t would seem a rather shame
full fact that the only portion of la
Dor to support the Commander in
Chief, the chiefs of staff, the Secre-
taries of War and Navy and the high
command abroad when they unite
on measure deemed vital to our
armed services in the field, should
be an element usually-and rightly
regarded as alien and subversive.
If Mr.. Hines had desired, he
might also have said with complete
truth that the Communists are the
only segment of labor" which at
this time is strongly anti-inf1ation-
1st, wholly against strikes, for wage
stabilization and for the Little Steel
formula. In brief, the Communists
constitute the only part of Mr.
Roosevelt's labor support of the last
campaign which is completely for his
war program at home.
As matter of fact. they are for it
more strongly than he is, which may
sound silly, but isn't. The rest OF
his labor support-the CIO, the
CLOS PAC, the AFL and the So
called Liberal party" of New York
is for hardly any of this program
And a considerable part of this labor
support is doing its best to sabo-
tage it.
Already they apparently have sue
ceeded in denaturing the work-or-
fight proposal, and determined as
sault is being made on the barriers
erected against imitation. They bit
terly oppose wage control, defy the
War Labor Board, denounce the
Little Steel formula. OF all the Ia
Dor groups, only the Communists
support the President.
This is a strange, almost incred-
ible, situation. The Communists
have not changed their spots. They
are no more to be trusted now
than before. It would be just as
dangerous TO take them to our
bosoms now as it ever was. This
does not in the least mean that
they have been converted to the
American way of life or are any
less communistic than they were.
They have not been persuaded
that our system of government is
more to be desired than that of
the Soviets. Nor have they relin-
pushed their purpose to try to
remake it. None of these things
has happened. Yet, it isn't far
wrong to stay that at this time the
Communists, who operate with
solidity not achieved by any other
group within our borders, tempo
rariIy. have become the most con-
servative force in the country
more so than the National ASso-
citation of Manufacturers and the
Chamber of Commerce - infinitely
more than the CIO.
This sounds like joke, but 1t
isn't. The explanation, as pointed
out in previous column, is entirely
simple 1t is wholly due to the
fact that the Russians want to win
the war against Germany as quickly
and completely as possible. We are
their major ally. We are supplying
them through lease-lend with vast
quantities of essential munitions and
war materials which they could not
otherwise get. 1t is the Russian
conception that the destruction of
Hitler will be hastened by a strohg,
effective, sound, American war pro-
gram. The destruction of Hitler is
the overwhelming and primary Rus
sian desire of the moment.
Hence, the Russian interest is to
promote that kind of program in
America. Hence, from Moscow has
come word to American Communists
to get behind the Presidents pro-
gram. That is why, as Mr.. Hines
sneeringly says, ''the only segment
of labor behind the work-or- Jail"
bill is the Communist. That is why
the Communists are behind the
anti imitation measures, against
strikes and for wage sterilization.
That is all there is to it. The
Communists are for the work-or-
jail proposal and against imitation,
not because these things are in the
interests of this country, though
they are, but because they are in
the Russian interests-and those
come first with them. Thus, they
support the right for a wrong rea-
son.
Nevertheless, their position is
more logical and more commendable
than the segments of labor which
are engaged in undermining practi-
cally the whole war program of the
President whom they claim to have
elected. What these "segments"
are doing is shortsightedly putting
their own selfish interests ahead of
the interests of their own country
and their own judgment against