The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-03
Lewis and One World

The first few days of John L. Lewis coal strike showed far toward actuay in an economic sense the concep tion Of One World has progressed
 Because of an American work stoppage all western Europe had to tighten its belt Western European govern ment were forced to translate American industrial shut downs and curaed transportation in terms of less food less material and less production within their own boundaries
 An this may have inflated Mir Lewis of personal importance even more He could watch the effect of his personal strike which already had lowered pail of cold ana gloom his country, spread like paralysis to other lands carrying with promise of hunger and discomfort He could know that direct consequence of his actions Denmark had restored fuel ratonng and the wartime oack out cut gas, electricity and rail traffic.
 Mir Lewis 100000 miners might share their leaders view if they could turn their thoughts and eyes from ther
 immediate surroundings. Of it not exactly thelr strike There had been complaints of suffering or threats of revolt as prelude the walkout In accordance with Mir Lewis custom they had not even been permitted to vote
 Yet they had followed their leaders bidding like 100000 sheep needless of their responsibility to the and the nation needless of the direction in which they were being led In doing they had helped John L. Lewls to become of the most important and unpopular men
 But it may be wondered if Mir Lewis had weighed the possible political effects of his economic actionefects which might persist however quickly his present strike
 Western Europe is still politically chaotic pulled this way and that by the powerful forces of the United States and the Soviet Union Its people surely are watching bot weighing strengths and weaknesses calculating the advan ges and disadvantages of joining their economic and hence their political fortunes to otatarian communism or capta
 Mir Lewis strike is not calculated to drive any hesitant country Europeans be forgiven for mis- taking confused and awkward governmental tactics for fundamental weaknesses in our governmental system.
 They have this evidence at hand One controls the economic desnes of group of workers who comprise less than threeenths of percent of Americas population Yet with their backing he control Americas industrial life in defiance of government which, than occa sion has demonstrated its inability to stop him.
 The results of that defiance being brought home to western Europeans in a tangible How will they react! One say with certainty But is reason able to suppose that would feel that they prefer gov which its countrys industry and is able to enforce its orders while others might prefer to form of capitalism with legal safeguards against labors get ting a commanding position.
 Neither reaction could be to Mir Lewis advantage. He is not Communist and he certainly does not favor curb ing of abors power anywhere But it is possible that ne might awake one day to find that his periodic strikes had helped to drive part of the world away from American democracy and into pocoeconomic alliance with total tarianism of the right or the left