Detroit evening times., 1946-01-09
BEHIND
The NEWS
BY Paul
MaIlon

Md0On
CHICAGO, Jan. 9 President
- Truman Is losing popularity
with the hundreds OF people
with whom | talked during a
Today trip through the north
central states but not tor the
reasons hotly discussed in Wash
ington, not upon the issues OF
his battle with Congress.
The average man and
woman are not concerned
much today with the discus
sions of the high pressure
groups. No one l saw men
toned the full employment
spending proposal, boosting
employment compe nsation'
fair employment practices or
the other bills before Con-
greSs.
Indeed. few brought mp the
subject 0f strikes which are
all over the front pages. III
Won mention the MalkOutS
first. YOU will find most people
bitter and wanting To go much
further than Mr.. Truman Ia
curb them.
But the portion Of the public
was able to consult has an in
tercsting and new attitude about
the union campaign. You might
call it a Scething but suppressed
resentment. based on "A factor
the union StrategiStS apparently
have not considered. namely
that the average man and
woman sees no hope of 30 per
cent wage increase or greater
postwar considerations FOR their
wants. but sees only news of
union demands beyond their own
hopes and strikes which lncon-
venience them and ignore their
interests tstrikes against their
& Getting autos, retrlgerators,
radios; strikes in public service
monopolieS such as telephones
and telegraph.
DUT as I say. this feeling IS
- latent and coUered by the
conditions of wdr in Which the
public got accustomed to being
kicked around and also by
hangover desire from the Wov to
be cheerful IN the face of all
inconvenience, Without any real
knowledge of the Justice or in
Justice of union claims. This IS
definitely hurting the cause OF
strikers.
But it is only a secondary
phase in basic cause of public
dissatisfaction, which is founded
upon visible evidence all too in
innate TO every citizen. yet not
10 the President, his high Off
cials or those who may ride IN
special planes and live their
lives exclusive of normal Condi-
tions of living which beSet the
average citizens.
Observable facts are simply
these:
This country has not recOv-
cred from the wartime de-
mOraliZation Of goods and
services. The public is being
pushed around now more than
during the war. COmplica-
tions and difficulties of living
have greatly wOrsened in the
last eight months since the
end in Europe. People can
not get any OF the things they
want-whether butter, Christ
mas presents, clothes, clean
ing, proper service in any line,
including transportation.
You can understand the gen.
eral condition in the experience
one businessman related con-
cerning his business travels. He
bought a drawing room from
Washington TO Chicago, but be-
fore he picked il up. il was sold
by A ticket clerk who told him
the room was for wounded sol
diCrS, and ne would have to take
lowers.
On the train there was not
only no wounded soldiers in his
drawing room. but none on the
entire train. His associates re-
minded him the bootlegGinC of
train reservations makes draw
ing rooms worth S25 bribeS.
DUT leaving Washington he
- found not even his lower
available He had to ride one
sixth of his trip in a day coach,
pile out in the cold TO another
train 10 get his lower. OF this
he did not complain.
His point of complaint was
that the railroad did not offer
him or any of the possibly 200
the refund due them,
not only for failure 10 supply
Pullman but for the difference
in basic fare due to the coach
ride
l sat up all night. until 4
p. m, for train, which the
porter told me was always that
4