Evening star., 1946-01-28
SouI-Seorching PorIey
Might Break Strike
Spiritual Approach Suggested for
Steel Management, Unions
By David Laurence

By David Laurence
Doubtless many people are wishing
that the unions and management could
get together somehow and settle the
strikes. But even the President acknowl-
edges that he has done about everything
he can think of to bring the parties
together.
There's one thing, however, he hasn't
done. The idea may seem fantastic to
some. and yet it is very simple and in
expensive in time and energy. 1t can
not possibly aggraVate the situation and
it might conceivably help.
Let the President summon all the
directors and officers of the steel COM
panies and put them in a room in the
White House and let the entire execu-
tive committee of the CIO Steel Work
ers Union gather in another room.
These are the men who really have the
power to settle the strike. If the auto
mobile situation is SO closely related to
the steel problem that one cannot be
settled without the other, let the two
groups from the auto industry be
similarly summoned to the White House
If it is desirable for the two union
groups to meet together or for the two
management groups to confer, they
would be at hand for such purpose.
Requires Settlement Atmosphere.
Then the President could ask his most
experienced mediator, John Steelman,
to address each group and ask for pro-
poSals to transmit from one to the other.
Before such request were made, how
ever, an atmosphere of settlement would
have to be created by the President
himself. This is the most important
phase of the formula.
To create an atmosphere in which
bygones would be bygones, in which the
epithets of the past and the accusations
and the charges were put to one side
so that basis of mutual trust could be
built, requires the introduction of an
influence that has been absent-an in
f1uence which alone can melt bitterness
and bring back reason where economic
brutishness and power have prevailed.
The President is spiritually minded
man. He knows the power of prayer
and he has relied on Divine guidance
IN the past. Suppose he addressed each
group separately and told them there
was one Mediator whose influence they
should heed now and that it was time
to be guided by conscience. Suppose
he asked each group to consider not
who is right but what is right. Sup
pose he asked each person to consider
what he might say to himself 10 or Is
years hence as the end of life itself
pproaches-When men begin to solilo-
quize on what they have done with
their lives
Weighing of Values.
VIII they, as they face their Maker
then, wish they had been less selfish,
more objective, more ready to seek the
honest and courageous way? Will not
matters of pride and who won a par
ticular strike seem petty by comparison
Will not the fact that situation was
honestly examined by both sides and
that pledges were given by both with
genuine sincerity mean more in re-
Prospect? Will not the compensation
for having done what was right loom
up as more important and satisfying
then whether one maintained his own
prestige in a union or in a corporation,
or whether one ate his own words in
order to effectuate settlement that
made tens of thousands, yes, millions
of human beings happy and enabled
them to resume work?
1t is not new original formula. The
philosophy of Jesus is centuries old,
but, irrespective of creed or sect, it
means the use of the simple power of
reason instead of coercion. It calls, of
course, for absolute honesty in the
processes of Self-eXamination. That's
where one must not rationalize eco
nomics to suit ones own selfish desires,
Introduces Spiritual Note.
II Americans can give an example of
the effectiveness of honest reasoning
and spiritual responsibility, the whole
world will take hope. For the same
kind of self-denial necessary to main
tain internal peace is needed to insure
external peace. The power to produce
unhapplness because of individual or
concerted selfshness or excessive pride
on the part of leaders involves a solemn
responsibility.
If the President could introduce the
spiritual note and keep these groups
of representatives comforting day and
night till they themselves found the
way to trust one another, maybe
there's bare chance-it might bring a
settlement of our economic wars. It's
worth trying.
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