Evening star., 1946-10-30
Lewis Again Storts
Spiral Of InfIotion
Mine Leader Seen Out to Break
CIO and Dominate AFL
By David Laurence

The Truman administration has sur
rendered Internationally again. John L.
Lewis has forced the reopening Of a
contract merely by threatening to
ignore the Smith -Connally law. Instead
Of accepting the challenge and defend
ing the majesty of the law, the ad-
ninistration yielded and thereby be-
slowed on Mr.. Lewis the potential lead
ership Of the entire labor movement
in America
For Mr.. Lewis Is out to break up the
CIO and to dominate the AFL. BY
shrewd tactics, the head Of the Mine
Workers Union has compelled the Trr-
man administration to promise an i'll
crease In wages to the miners and in
exchange for this there will be no coal
strike called. 1t Is violation of law
anyway for strike to be called while
the Federal Government is in possess
sion Of "any plant or facility" but the
Truman administration lacks the cour-
age to enforce the Federal laws against
labor leaders. They are immune because
Of their political power.
Question Of Senators.
Thus far Mr. Lewis, through the
miners votes, is in a position to throw
one way or the other the election for
Senator in two close States-Kentucky
and West Virginia Evidently retention
OF Senate control by the Democratic
administration through any means or
any expedient is more important than
the principle Of law enforcement.
1t Is well known that Interior secre.
tary Krug. who Is an efficient public
servant, saw no basis for reopenine ths
coal contract but he was reversed by the
Presidents orders.
Now, when the negotiations are re.
sumed on Friday of this week, Mr..
Lewis will be in position to force the
issue at once. He will not brook delay
or stalling beyond next Tuesday. He
never would have agreed to call oil the
strike II he had not been assured that
there would be an increase in compen-
sation for the miners. However small
1t may turn out to be, it sets the pat
tern and challenges Philip Murray and
the CIo to ask for wage increases. It
starts the whole imitation spiral all over
again just at time when the need for
stability or assurance Of future stability
Is greatest.
Signal to Rank and File.
II Mr.. Lewis out-trumps Mr.. Murray,
1t will be signal to the rank and file
that they had better join the Lewis
bandwagon-for he is afraid Of nothing,
not even the Federal Government. Such
manifestation Of prestige In labor circles
is unrivalled.
The Truman administration has re-
vealed the weakness of desperation 1t
is so anxious to hold the Senate that
it Is willing to make concessions. One
reason. on the other hand, for its sur
render is a belief that, If the coal op-
orators do not soon agree to take back
their mines, they will find that the
Government has allowed their wage
expenses to 60 to prohibitive point
30 that naturalization of coal mines,
as In Great Britain, may become more
than mere possibility.
The entire situation Is indicative Of
the administration failure on the
labor front since the end of the war.
Inability to grapple with the problem
and to meet effectively the crisis Of last
spring in the coal and rail situations
has opened up an era of economic
anarchy which next winter will be in
tensifed in new round of strikes in
steel and other important industries.
The system of private enterprise may
not be able to Withstand much more
labor warfare as q recession comes into
the ofing when demands for socialza-
ton of industry will naturally be in
troduced into public debate and some
Of them may be granted under the
stress of labor's political power.
ueproducsion RIGHTS Reserved)