Evening star., 1947-12-04
The Political Mil
Action Mapped by A. FL.
For '48 Political Cumpoion
Officials Say Move Is Expansion" Of
Old Policy on Candidates
BY Could LincoIn


Political action by organized labor Is taking
another big stride this week. The presidents
4 of national and international American Fed
Grafton unions are working out the new oreari.
zation by which the AFL proposes to make
labor effective in the 194S national political
campaign They will decide the "objectives" OF
the organization-"Labors Educational and
Political League as 1t may be called. They
also will decide what methods Of financing shall
be followed in carrying out the objectives.
The claim is made by representatives Of the
AFL unions that they are not abandoning the
traditional policy Of the Federation, but merely
expanding" that policy. 1t has been the prac-
tice to give the records Of candidates for office
on their attitude toward organized labor-and
let the union members decide what they
wanted to do at the polls
Only once has the AFL ofncially Endorsed .
candidate for President Of the United States
which was an abandonment Of Its traditional
policy. That was in 1924 when the Federation
went all out for the late Senator Robert NJ
La Toilette OF Wisconsin, running as an inde-
pendent progressive against Calvin Coolidge,
Republican, and John w. Davis, Democrat. The
Federation did not do as much for the late
Franklin Delano Roosevelt-although the great
ma jority Of its members supported Mr.. Roose-
velt, and some Of them worked actively for his
election.
How far the new league Is to go In 194S is
still to be determined 1t is expected 1t will
exert all its influence to defeat those members
OF Congress who supported the Taft-Hartley
law. But whether 1t will officially indorse the
opponents Of these members of Congress, or
just publicize the records of the Taft-Hartley
law supporters and then work against them
must be determined. An Endorsement would
be change Of policy.
Union Must Determine Scope.
The union leaders also must determine
whether the league is to 60 into the presiden-
tial campaign. If it does then again the tradi-
tional policy Of the AFI,-which has been vio-
lated only once-Will suffer another and major
change.
Flat denial is made that the AFL's new
league Is q step toward the organization Of
new political party-a labor party. The AFL
always has had Republicans and Democrats
both In its membership which seemingly would
preclude the Endorsement of presidential
candidate of either Of the major political par
ties.
The CIO, with its own Political Action Com
mittee, has moved much more definitely into
politics, national and State, than has the AFL
in the past. 1t is planning big drive next
year to turn the ft-Hartley law supporters
out of the House and Senate. With this par
ticular objective the same as the objective of
the AFLs new league, a joining of forces would
seem the natural thing. However, 1t is insisted
by AFL men there is to be no union of the two
political action organizations on a national
scale-although in a few cities they may act
together There is still a chasm between tho
unions of the AFL and the unions Of the CIO.
Machinists Also Act.
Still another move toward organized particle
patton of labor in politics was the organiza-
ton this week Of "Machinists Non-Partisan
Political League" The machinists, who number
upwards Of 900 900, were formerly AFL but are
now an independent organization. The an
nounced objective of the machinists' league.
like the CIO and the AFI,, Is to defeat the
aft-Hartley law members of Congress
The CIO is planning drive for some $6,O00-
900, the AFL for $5,O00,0O0 and the Machinists
for ST 900 900. If the total sum is raised-there
will be campaign chest of 900 to be
used to defeat the members Of the House and
Senate who had the temerity to vote against or
ganized labors demand that the Taft-Hartley
law be defeated. An unconscionable campaign
fund.
The new labor law forbids contributions by
labor unions in political campaigns and pro-
yides penalties. The AFL believes, however,
that 1t is entitled to use its funds for "educa-
tional purposes" even If this includes the edu-
cation of it's members about candidates for
public and political office.
1t is urged, too, that voluntary, individual
contributions" by members Of the unions may
be made to support political candidates with
out violating the law. The Taft-Hartley law
is the second attempt by Congress to prevent
bv Joho IN
paigns. The first was In the wartime Smith
Connally Act. Labor has its ways Of circurn-
venting the will Of Congress.