Evening star., 1946-08-26

cAlip dllu CFcIy. TtAnA N. heuts
thing for which it strove, in return
for political support at the polls
and in Congress.
1t was an entirely practical poll
tical bargain. BY it the Government
became a partisan partner of q
left-wing labor faction and a left
wing labor faction gained an as
cendancy in the Government.
Costly Publicity for CLIO.
A second thing is the costly pub
licity machine which drenches the
Nation with CIO propaganda. A
third is the aggressive tactics of
the CIO strategists whose we'll
understood and widely advertised
goal is the political domination of
all branches of the Government and
the driving from public life of those
who refuse to acquiesce in their
program.
OF course, it was the White House
support that really built the CIO
up. BY long odds, that was its
biggest asset.
However, even with this it has
failed to achieve its objective and
is now believed on the down grade.
This will be Indignantly denied,
and those who point to the facts
will be abused in the customary
C1O way. Nevertheless, it is true
and there are a number of reasons
therefor.
Alienated Public Support.
One is that the CIO has carried
its turbulence too far, alienated pub
lie support by extreme action, ugly
threats and general bombast. An
other is, the primaries in MANY
States clearly show its inability to
deliver its membership at the polls
In sufncient force to affect the re-
suits. In brief, its efforts to punish
and reward have been singularly in
ef1ectual and its claims of political
influence have been proven kau-
dulent.
But the fundamental reasons are
inherent in the organization itself
One is the degree to which It has
become saturated with Communism
IL has been CIO routine to dismiss
TINS cnarge as unfounded. But that
can no longer be done.
The charge today comes from the
inside, not from the outside. CIO
men like Curran of the Maritime
Union and Black of the United
Electric Radio and Machine Work.
ers Union, and others of equal
prominence, openly declare that the
communists have taken control and
call upon the CIO to cleanse" itself
The United Automobile Workers
and the Newspaper Guild are in a
similar state Of unhealthful domina-
ton.
Poor CIO Leadership
The clearer these facts are made
the more offensive the CIO becomes
TO the average American and the
greater the disposition to react
against 1t politically. A second basic
reason for CIO inability to attain
the proportions to which it pretends
Is the quality Of its leadership.
Since Mr.. Lewis left the CIo it
mas had no big man at the top
or near the top. An unsuccessful
enort to build Mr.. Philip Murray
up as a strong man has been made
But Mr.. Murray just is not of the
STUN OF which real leaders are made.
He is somewhat unctuous
breast-beater type who loves to have
ms picture in the papers and is at
his best spouting the publicity de-
partment speeches and statements
prepared by the exceedingly dilipent
writer's enlisted therein. But his in
adequacy as a leader has been
attested many times and there is
considerable truth In the oft-re-
peated charge that, though himself
not Communist, he is a prisoner
OF the Communists in the key CIO
positions.
Boast White House Aid.
Certainly it is true that once Mr..
Murray and his associates lose their
White House tieup they greatly
shrink in size. Mostly they are
cheap, truculent fellows, inflated by
the power acquired through Gov
ernment aid which they egotisticaIly
y Az u