Evening star., 1946-01-07

IN y u M
Roosevelt could have taken the
same speech and made 1t sound a
lot better. 1t also will be agreed
that if former Judge Samuel Rosen-
man, who wrote so many of the
Roosevelt messages and speeches,
wrote this one. his literary style
has deteriorated. But that isn't
why the speech was disappointing.
That is not why it aroused neither
great enthusiasm on the one side
nor violent criticism on the other.
The reason it fell into the dud
class is not because Mr.. Truman's
case against congressional commit
tee inaction on his program is not
q strong one, nor because his own
purposes are not good. They are.
There is much truth in Senator
Taft's criticism that his program,
except for the fact-finding board,
Is left wing and pro CIO-PAC.
Neither Firm Nor Clear.
But the reason for the singular
ineffectuality of his appeal is not
explained by that. The reason is
that he was neither firm, nor clear,
nor concrete on the issue of over
whelming national importance
about which the great bulk of our
citizens are tremendously con-
cerned.
There is now going on in the
country gigantic struggle between
the unions and industry. The great
est union CUAW) has struck against
the greatest industry General
Motors. Other great strikes. In the
steel, electric communications and
meat-packing industries, loom. Lit
orally millions of men and women
are vitally affected.
Grown great through years Of
Government backing under MIR.
Roosevelt, the CIO has made large,
and in some instances, concededly
unreasonable demands. Convinced
that If they yield, the heels of the
labor bosses will be permanently on
their necks and the ability to man
age their own business lost, the en-
ployers are determined to fight to
the finish.
Both Sides Object.
into this battle the worried and
well-meaning Mr.. Truman stepped
some weeks ago with his seemingly
mild fact-finding proposal from
which both sides revolt. The CIO
bosses denounce 1t as a vicious "be-
trayal of labor" General Motors,
feeling that to turn its books over
to a Government board authorized
to estimate its ability to pay is to
abandon the managerial function,
declares the proposals involve the
survival Of free enterprise and re-
fuses to agree. And Congress re-
fused the Presidents request to give
his proposals legal authority.
That was the state of affairs when
Mr.. Truman made his appeal Thurs
day night. Industry, the unions and
Congress all found his plan unac-
ceptable. Yet, he had nothing bet
ter to suggest.
He deplored the situation and re-
peated his request. But he did not
deal candidly nor courageously with
the issue. He was not, it is true,
as anti-industry and abjectly CIO
as was his predecessor in all such
struggles and as undoubtedly he
would have been in this had he lived.
But he was disappointingly timid
and tender toward the CIO. out
spoken only toward General Mo-
tors, which he held up to the people
as refusing to cooperate" And,
of course, sound as their reason was,
that is what they did.
Could Have Been Fairer.
However, it would have been
fairer if Mr.. Truman had not been
completely silent on the refusal of
the CIO to co-operate-if, for ex-
ample, he had pointed out that the
CIO bosses had contemptuously re-
fused his request that they return
to work while his fact-finding board
was finding the facts.
And it would have better balanced
his appeal if he had called the peo-
pies attention to the bumptious
Walter P. Reuthers statement that
1t was none of his boards business
whether the CIO demand was rea-
sonable or unreasonable. But he
didn't do that. He called attention
to General Motors refusal to CO.
operate" in one direction, but not
to the CLOS refusal in the other
direction.
In brief, he was somewhat one