Evening star., 1946-08-05

and demagogic Frank R. Kent.
attacks upon the employers. 1t was
clear from the start that the con-
ference was going to get nowhere
and that the labor bosses, with their
strike schedules already made up,
had no idea it would.
Their obvious plan was to use 1t
as sounding board for their
spokesmen and press agents. Be-
ing much better equipped and
more adroit in propaganda methods
than the industrialists, they made
more news and had all the best
of the conference publicity.
After 1t was over they proceeded
with their original strategy" and
the Nation, at time when produc-
ton was most essential, was afflicted
with virtual epidemic of strikes
in all parts of the country, many
of them without real justification.
Wallace Figures Wrong.
In the larger of these they were
tremendously aided by the 18Ia-
cent-an-hour increase in wages laid
down as national pattern by the
White House, by the fallacious sta
tistics put out by Mr.. Henry Wal
lace and by the active cooperation
of a Labor Department in which
former CIO officials are heavily
represented. AS a result of the
rise in wages, thus governmentally
forced, there was an inevitable rise
In prices, which the CIO profess
sionals and their liberal SYM
pathizers are now engaged In at
tributing to the emasculation Of
the OPA Act, though every clear
headed and candid man perfectly
well knows that with a general
wage advance such as this, prices
were bound to go up no matter
what was put in or taken out of
the OPA Act.
Now, charging that the cost OF
living has gone up 40 per cent In
the last two months (whereas the
United States Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics shows it has been less than
7 per cent?, the CIO is insisting
that wages must again go up and
the more violent of the profess
sionals forecast another wave Of
strikes. However, one of the CLOS
Journalistic interpreters states that
there is some reluctance among the
calmer labor bosses to launch an
other such wave-frst, because of
the belief that the temper Of the
people next time may be aroused
to point where real restrictive
legislation cannot be stopped; sec
ond, because Of the very patent
fact that an increase In wages is
sure to be followed by an increase
In prices, thus canceling out the
former.
Agreements Sought.
Therefore, asserts this interpreter,
the new CIO Strategy" is to seek
an arrangement with industry by
which agreements on prices, profits
and production shall be written into
all unton-management contracts.
This, Of course, would practically
put the union in a dominant posi-
ton. Once they got such agreements
no employer would be in a position
to run his own business. The labor
bosses would really be In the drivers
seat, which, of course, is what they
want. Obviously, the only way In
which such agreements could be had
with industry would be through gov
ernmental coercion.
The demand that the President
call conference fits in with this
strategy" In such conference
the CIO would present its plan on
prices, profits and production agree
ments with the hope that the ad-
ministration, through political pres
sure in an election year, would be
compelled to support it. II, with
this support, 1t could be put over,
1t would be great victory and the
on-Government partnership be
again firmly established. If it failed,
either through lack of administra-
ton support or because of indus
trial refusal despite such support,
then, again, fine publicity attack
upon the arrogant and greedy"
employers could be made.
Altogether, this new strategy"
seems smart, but it is too easily seen
through to get far. The idea is said
to have been taken from a recent
book by Mr.. Chester BoWles.
Truman Ignores Call.
II true, this would not commend
1t too highly. At any rate, Mr.. Tru-
man has not responded to the con-
ference demand as yet and those
who know him best have no notion
that he will. For one thing, they
say, he knows now that labor
management conferences without
preconference agreement upon spro-
grams are the bunk. For another
he is entirely aware that the labor
bosses now running the CIO are not
friends of his. Nor is the left-wing
committee that joined in the de-
nand.
The labor boss in whom he had
most confidence was Mr.. Hillman.
1t was through him he cleared his
vice presidential nomination in 1914
and to him he felt a real obligation.
To others he feels none at all. He
knows that they and their radical