Evening star., 1947-06-25
On the Record
Outbreak Of Litigation
Seen Labor Law Result
Court Actions Sure to Find Way Into
Political Arena, Writer Says
By Dorothy Thom pson

This column is in substantial agreement with
the Presidents analysis of the Taft-Hartley
bill in his 5,000-word message accompanying his
Veto 1t is my belief-not hope-that enacted
into law, 1t will not contribute to peaceful
labor relations but to exacerbating litigation
and to the increased introduction of these into
the political arena. The courts, as we hi e
said before, are not the place to try to judge
issues involving collective bodies They have
not prevented trusts and will be even less
successful in dealing with issues involving
larger associations of citizens
However, President Truman's veto cannot
be evaluated for its primary motive apart
from the political situation
When, last November the voters reversed
the congressional political complexion they
old so in reaction against too much and too
badly abused labor power. President Truman
recognized this and offered full cooperation"
to the new Congress. Even in this message he
repeats that he shares with Congress the
conviction that legislation dealing with rela-
tions between management and labor is neces-
sary,' and condemns abuses on the part of
unions and employers"
Problem Behind Maneuver.
He has been SO canny about his veto atti-
tude, however, as to suggest that he wished the
bill to pass and he offers no constructive sug-
gestion, advising Congress only to start all
over, thus dropping the baby right back into
the congressional hap.
Behind this maneuver is doubtless the prob
lem of the Democratic party and the machina-
tions of Henry Wallace The party is coali-
ton of contradictory elements, consisting of
the Solid South" which hardly needs ap-
peasement and the masses of the northern
metropolises with their political and often
labor. machines and progressive" movements
split in these ranks means defeat for the
party, and that split is now looming by Mr..
Wallaces threat to create third party If Mr..
Truman does not appease the Soviets and
American labor-a dangerous and irrelevant
association of ideas.
The Communists-whose power depends not
on numbers but on tactics-want third
party because it would give them, they calcu-
late, balance of power. What it would do
would be--as they know-to elect the Re-
publicans. But 1t would also-they hope
throw the Democratic Party in 1852 into the
hands of the "progressives." with Mr.. Wallace
as candidate as similar maneuver of Theo-
dore Roosevelt with his Bull Moose" revolt
threw the nomination, after Democratic de-
feat to him.
What They Count On.
These Wallace "progressives," meanwhile,
whose brain trusters are heavily Communist
Influenced, count on the following things with
in the next two to five years:
A revolt from the trade unions making the
policy embodied in the Taft-Hartley bill con-
tribute, not to stability. but to chaos
breakdown of the Truman Marshall Euro
pean policy due to further successful advances
of Soviet communism in Europe
serious economic crisis in the United
States
President Truman and the Democratic
leaders are desperately afraid of playing into
Mr. Wallace's hands. They want to defeat both
Mr Wallace and the Republicans. IT, as they
calculate-wth considerable reason--the Re-
publican sponsored labor bill fails to achieve
results, the President, not the Republicans or
Mr. Wallace will profit from his veto and its
overruling.
If, in addition. Secretary Marshall succeeds
even partially in stabizing European affairs
without outright conflict with the Soyiets, the
Republicans will not profit, for it will be BIZ
partisan victory. But Mr.. Wallace will lose.
And If, domestically, Mr.. Truman can check
infiationary trends without precipitating de-
fationary x5anic, nothing prevent his re-
election. Whether this is possible greatly de-
pends on the behavior of labor in maintaining
industrial peace and increasing production. If
labor wants highly reactionary Republican
regime in 1852 it can have it.
If it wants Mr.. Wallace, 1t has a chance to
get him. But predict that Wallace regime
would be harder on free labor institutions
than most people dream Of Mr.. Wallace is a
State-control man and his supporters, the
smartest of them, are Russia -frsters.
released by the Bell Syndicate, Inc)