The Wilmington morning star., 1945-05-12

ers. His articles serve the good purpose
of making people Think
By wEsTBRoOK PEGLER
Downright, 1915, by King Features Syndicate)
SAN FRANCISCO, - yesterday is yester-
day. he said 'brt today is today and tomor-
row is tomorrow three-ply platitude which
might send us off to an inauspicious start
unless hurry to explain that Roger Lapham,
the mayor of San Francisco, and a capitalist
who licked the rowdy unioneers at the polls
was expressing a willingness to forget the
past and hope for the future.
yesterday was very bad time in San
Francisco, a beautiful and highly civilized city
which had been selected by the communist
revolutionaires and a reckless crowd of old.
line American leg-breakers as the victim of
their ambition. AS ship-oWner in a large
way of business he had fought the revolution
in the violent phase of the new deals expert
ment in the Use of mob action to achieve po-
litical purposes. These uproars included a
brief general strike in which Americans who
wanted to work didn't dare, and rule was
laid down by the experimental black shirts
of a rnischievous regime that a certain few
restaurants might remain open but only for
the convenience of union members. They were
complicated by the hangover from the Tom
Mooney case and other old controversies
crimes and economic wrongs and by the dis
honesty of arbiters commissioned by the gov
eminent to settle matters impartially in favor
of the unions. The included a strike of 100
days along the waterfront in which commun-
list leaders refused to arbitrate lest peace
deprive them of that anxiety, privation and
excitement which are the traditional prereq-
uisite of revolution.
One night during the long waterfront strike,
Lapham went down to speak to the strikers
as representative of the waterfront employ
ers. They had invited the enemy to send one
Of their number to state their side of the
case. Mr.. Lapham was not the only one who
was willing to face them but there were 9th
ers in the group who said it would do not good
because anyone who did appear would be
driven from the platform.
''They booed me once or twice. he said,
"but I figured that, bavlng invited me, they
would have to let me speak my piece And
they did, too. They policed their own meet
ing and gave me very courteous hearing,
and big hand"
Mr. Lapham did have a hidden ace. He
was welcomed by John Dore, the mayor of
Seattle, an old Harvard class.mate who had
known him as a member of the freshman
debating team and one who could handle him
self well in controversy. Dore was attorney
for Dave Beck, of Seattle the agent of old
Dan Tobin, president of the international
union Of the teamsters. So the atmosphere was
not entirely bitter and Lapham came off with
honor for his courage in confronting crowd
aroused to dangerous possibilities and for the
reasonable dignity of his presentation Mrs.
Lapham went with him.
Since then, Under the pressure Of the war,
the communists have moderated their revolu-
tionary tactics. After all, Russia is, or was in
it too and, although Russia was not fighting
Japan and the Pacific war therefore has not
been an immediate concern of the commun-
lists, American public opinion could be alienat-
ed by wanton strikes and too obvious inter-
ference with loading and shipping. There are
so many sons, brothers, fathers and husbands
of Americans fighting out there.
Meanwhile, Roger Lapham was drafted for
service in Washington on the National De-
tense Mediation Board, the War Labor Board
and the Labor Management Conference and
a letter from Franklin D. Roosevelt acknow-
lodging his fine work was potent endorse
ment and an offset to the ancient hatred of
the boss unioneers when, in November, 1943
he ran as a non-partisan for mayor AS an
employer, he had stood by his principles in
the long and complex hearings and had come
to know and respect many of the union rep
resentatives. OF John L. Lewis he has said
that the president Of the United Mine Workers
is the shrewdest barganer on either side
Nowadays when he has business with the boss
communist of the Pacific Coast he is not
just coldly polite but humanity affable look
ing hopefully to tomorrow and government
under law and an end to mob violence de-
iberately contrived by a few.
The change in San Francisco is apparent
to the naked eye and to the nerves. The CITY
still is highly unionized, to be, sure, but in
Lapham's vote of 81, 900 against &c. 900 for his
nearest opponent in a field of four principal
candidates whose total aggregate was 125, 0Oos
he received the vote of confidence and hope
OF many men and women who carried union
cards. The city had learned to know and
trust the fairness Of a mayor who attended
the first Plattsburg camp in 1917, fought with
the 3O5th infantry in France and, then, at 49,
and with no need of the job nor any political
ambition, offered to give a great war port
a reconstruction administration in time of an
other great war.
And the union leaders or bosses have learn
that he carried over to his office no old
grudges but only desire to make tomorrow a
better time than yesterday.
On table in his office there is a counting
device which the numerals are changed
every morning. few days ago it read DAYS
gone, 481; days to go, $780,
His first term will be his last. He made
that vow when he was candidate and though
the low subterfcge of draft might be in
voked by a people sick of picket lines and
street fighting, Mayor Lapham, delighted that
he did commit himself insists with iu-
venile grin that man can't break promise.
-V
QUOTATIONS