The Wilmington morning star., 1947-06-14
Warning Coming True
BY ARTHUR KROCK

WASHINGTON-For years no people in his
tory have been more steadily warned than
the Americans. In the late Twenties this be-
came a habit among public men and pub
%licists. the particular warning being that we
were headed for the crash and depression
that followed. In the Thirties the habit was
firmly rooted, and ever since the first pages
Of newspapers often have the word warn
in more than one headline.
But in the same period, unlike that of the
late Twenties, the warnings generally con-
flicted, adding to the bewilderment Of the
people, until, with the arrival of the Forties,
his was their experience: In 1910 they were
warned by each Presidential candidate that
the peaceful status of the nation depended
on the defeat OF his opponent. In 1914 they
were warned by each Presidential candidate
that the victory of the nation in the war it
meanwhile had entered, and a sound and en-
during peace thereafter, depended on the de-
feat OF his opponent.
A community so ''over-warned'' can be ex-
cused for not always being able to deter
mine which warning to heed or for disregard
ing most Of them. 1t can be excused for
growing to detest this four : letter word
warn" But there was at least one cry of
wolf in the Thirties that has come true.
This was the prophecy that the alliance of the
Democratic administration with organized Ia
boris politicians, if pursued to the point Of
SeLLlIlS up a uQlOu IIlO1OpOly IT PUBIC power,
could be broken only by ~forcefu1 assertion
of government authority against the type of
resistance that would arise.
Members of the Democratic party were re-
r~eatedly urged to stand against the legis-
lative program o. the administration out of
which the monopoly grew. but few of them
did The percentage of Republican opposition
was only a bit larger, exemplified by the
fact that the party Presidential candidate in
10dd CnuornNr noUyov rnrncnS ~ orl
nlent of the Wagner Act, on which the mono
poly is founded.
Now the labor leaders, in their methods Of
resistance to the efforts of Congress to correct
the excuses with which this monopoly is en-
forced Or the rest of the people, and to re-
store a more equitable division of rights and
privileges, are verifying the accuracy of this
particular warning. First. they declined to
concede any public necessity for remedies at
law. Second, thev refused to propose anv.
Third, they violently assailed all drafts Of the
legislation which Congress was considering
and ignored every show of proof that their
assaults were supported neither by the facts
ror the dictionary.
But then, when it became clear that Con-
gress could not be diverted from it's purpose
by such methods, they resorted to threats
and other forms of intimidation. In. mass
meetings, swelled by the followers of office
holders in alliance with the unions, they booed
and jeered the names of even such lenient
friends OF organized labor as Senator Ives.
After Congress. bv overwhelming bina rt'san
fnajorities sufficient to override a veto, sent
10 the White House a measure much watered
down from the House draft, union members
began a series Of work stoppages which, some
Of their spokesman said, was to give the
government and people an idea of what would
happen it any remedial legislation became
'aw.
In ways almost as blunt and intimidating,
union leaders issued warnings" to the Presi-
dent against signing the bill. Mr.. Murray,
president O. the Congress Of Industrial Or
CARNATIONS. wrote to Mr.. Truman that eff
This bill does become law it will engulf not
only the labor movement but the entire nation
in tragic consequences." The implication that
one of these tragic consequences would be
an attempt by the unions to sabotage the
law had already been made plain in the
coal fields and other industrial areas.
Thus what was prophesied and disregarded
in the Thirties is coming tn pass. Though
Congress has considered and acted or the
legislation by the prescribed processes Of the
Constitution fhere is and can be no dispute
of that, though the President will sign or
veto. and Congress will override or sustain
a veto by exercise Of the same processes,
it's opponents are demanding that Congress
~vacate its function and the President coerce
Congress to do so. Moreover, the union lead
ers are threatening, and by that threat delib-
erate1y encouraging. tragic consequences" IT
Congress stands by the judgment it has al
ready registered several times.
These leaders have put the President n Z