Evening star., 1946-01-03
Truman 10 Give
Review Of Labor
SituationTonight
Broadcast at 10
Is Designed to Spur
Congress to Action
BY ]. A. FOX.

President Truman will review
"the whole labor situation" in
his broadcast to the Nation at
10 o'clock tonight, it was an
nounced at the White House to-
day.
Mr.. Truman has practically COM
pleted the Commute message in
which he will discuss his begged
down legislative program In an ef-
fort to spur action by Congress
Press Secretary Charles G. Ross told
reporters. The speech will be broad
cast on all networks.
In view of the strike epidemic
with which the President has sought
to deal by proposing legislation to
set up fact-f1nding machinery, it
had been expected that he would
emphasize the labor angle tonight.
Asked today by newsmen If this as
sumption was correct, Mr.. Ross jok-
ingly responded that labor is mem
toned, naturally" and then he add
ed, the whole labor situation"
Clearance Won't Be Asked.
Mr.. Ross also was asked If the
speech would be cleared by the
Democratic National Committee, but
replied that Il should say no." He
added that this was the first speech
OF its sort that the President had
and then said that there
is no set procedure for speeches.
that is whether they are cleared with
the committee or not, because of
political implications.
Some quarters in the Capital to-
day already were speculating on the
possible political implications of the
speech, because of labor's opposition
70 the Presidents fact-finding plan.
This plan already has been de-
nounced by labor leaders, and may
have an important effect on Demo-
cratic political fortunes in the con-
gressional elections this /ear.
On the credit" side of the ad-
ministration's program in the labor
field, however, is the Presidents
support for full employment legis-
lation; for creation of a permanent
fair employment practice commits
sion. and for hberalized unemploy-
ment compensation benefits--items
on which Congress for weeks has de-
layed action, despite labor's ad-
Preview of Message.
Tnniohffc l,,z - L.
In large part a "preview" of the
annual message on the state of the
Union which goes to the Capitol
soon after Congress reconvenes.
The speech was pitched to reach
The voters while members of Senate
and House are at home with their
constituents. and one White House
offlcial said that it will be firm"
N tone. It was added, however,
hat the President is approaching
the speech in a conciliatory frame
If mind. The President was de-
scribed as wishing to be persuasive
being "dictatoriaI."
Mr.. Truman has given a great
deal of attention to the speech,
working on it while cruising over
New Year on the presidential yacht
Williamsburg, and continuing with
the task yesterday when he re-
turned. The President denied him
self to callers yesterday, so he
could go ahead with the job.
Tonight's speech will. in effect.
be "a follow up" on the 21-point
legislative program Mr. Truman
outlined for Congress last Septem-
ber, plus such additions as health
insurance, Army Navy merger,
peacetime military training and the
act-finding proposal, which has
been principally Objectionable to la
Dor because it provides for "cool-
ing-off" period before strikes may.
be effective-the same principle the
Railway Labor Act embodies.