Evening star., 1946-05-27

Trend Started Earlier.
Even before the railroad and coal
strikes. a trend in this direction
had definitely begun. This was the
inevitable result of the long series
of unnecessary strikes which have
all but economically throttled the
Nation and certainly have forced
millions of citizens to realize, as
they had not before, the grave dan
ger In the authority which we have
permitted the professionals in the
labor movement to accumulate. A
second reason is the overplaying OF
their hand by the CIO and their
PAC in the field of politics. Clear
ly, they have gone much too Tar.
They have made too many threats.
They have been too belllgerent
about what they intend to do. They
have gone too far in denunclatlon,
vituperation and ballyhoo. They
have made it plain that they do not
conine themselves to labor prob
lens, that they are not interested
in merely raising wages and bet
tering living conditions for their
members but aspire to run the
country. No better evidence of this
could be asked than the recently
published CIO "1946 Political Ac-
ton Program" which, as Mr.. Mark
Sullivan points out is composed OF
II items, including atomic energy,
the United Nations, food rationlng,
price control, taxation and State
hood for Hawaii.
Political Party Set-Up.
In brief, for a labor organization
the CIO is covering lot too much
territory. 1t has set itself up as a
political party and the great unor-
ganized mass of citizens, slowly
waking up to its proposed scope
and intent, are starting to react.
A rather striking example of the
change in the political atmosphere
is to be found in the State of Mary
land, where the Democrats are en-
gagged in a bitter primary contest
for both governor and senator.
The most interesting development
OF the campaign is the almost
ludicrous way in which all the
Democratic candidates are running
away from the CIO support. They
are behaving as though CIO in
dorsement were really the kiss of
death" This is something new in
the Democratic politics of recent
years.
Of the three aspirants for Gov
ernor, Representative Baldwin S
whole campaign is an anti-CIO
campaign and his outspoken oppo-
sition to its participation in Demo-
cratic politics is the one reason for
his strength - particularly in the
counties. "A second candidate, Mr.,
Lane. has been kept somewhat on
the defensive explaining what is
alleged to have been an over
friendly attitude toward the CIO in
the 1914, campaign, which he man
aged-and when all other State
leaders were overfriendly, too The
third candidate, MI. Tawes. sup
ported by Senator Tydings, is max
ing a vigorous effort to tag Mr.
Lane as the CIO choice-and Mr.
Lanes friends are equally vigorous
IN rejecting the tag.
Senatorial Race Issue.
In thee senatorial race between
Senator Radcliffe and Gov. O'Conor
the same issue protrudes. A short
time ago the local CIO gave out
an Endorsement of Mr.. OConor. who
Immediately and publicly declared
the Endorsement was entirely un-
solicited, that he had no alliance
with any group and is, in fact, IA
vorable to certain restrictive legis-
lation to curb labor abuses. Senator
Radcliffe, who was not indorsed
said that he is a friend of labor
but certainly not a representative
of any labor faction.
Altogether the manner in which
all the Maryland candidates shy
away from the CIO support and try
to pin the CIO label on the other
fellow seems especially significant
when compared with the enthusiasm
with which CIO support was well
coined in the last campaign. Though
1t is still true that the Democratic
party cannot win in New York with
out the Communistic American
Labor party and its CIO afiliates,
that sort of situation does not exist
IN MarVland which in some &C
years has failed only once tn he m