Evening star., 1948-10-05
Castigates
Truman as Unfit
For Presidency
UNIV Can Decide His
Tenure Election Day,
Mine Chief Says
BY jones Y. Newton
Stor Sfoff Correspondent

CINCINNATI, Oct. 5.-John l.
Lewis said today that President
Truman is a malignant, schem-
ing sort of individual who is
dangerous not only to the United
Mine Workers of America but to
the United States of America"
In bitter attack on the Presi-
dent, Mr.. Lewis opened the UNIV
convention here by telling the min
erS they will get chance on Elec-
ton Day to decide whether Mr..
Truman will continue to live in the
White House. He described the
President as "a man totally unfit
for his job"
Mr.. Lewis castigation of the Pres
ident drew scattered applause from
the nearly 5000 convention dele
gates but was not greeted as en-
Enthusiastically as some other things
the miners chief said.
Won't "Sell Out for Lunch"
Referring to the support tossed
to Mr.. Truman in the campaign by
other branches of labor, Mr.. Lewis
said many leaders of the AFL and
CIO have been called down to the
White House at the whim of the
President, and while there they
would sell out the labor movement
and sell out their unions for a
lunch"
Your union will never be sold
out for lunch" he added.
Truman says that he is against
the Taft-Hartley Act" Mr.. Lewis
shouted. HE did veto the act for
the record for use in this campaign.
He did not try to have his veto
The miners leader declared that
there were II Senators who would
have switched their votes against
the labor law II the President had
asked them to do so.
That is the hypocrisy Of the
President of the United States with
respect to the Taft-Hartley Act after
declaring that the President wanted
the bill enacted" he said.
Calls President Cowardly.
Mr.. Lewis was particularly bitter
In referring to the antistrike injunc-
tions and fines the Government
levied against him and the UNIV
twice in the last two years. He said
PRESIDENT Truman recommended
that fines be assessed in the court
injunction cases because he was too
cowardly to send me to jail"
Il was hoping that Harry Truman,
if he had to have his pound of
flesh from this organization, would
have me put in JAIL" Mr.. Lewis
doomed, which was something
white man would have done instead
of robbing you"
He continued. "It is unfortunate
that a President of the United
States should use all the vast powers
conferred upon him by the people
to prosecute a group of citizens
against whom he has a malignant
personal hatred It is unfortunate
that President of the United
States should stoop so low
Attacks Attorney General.
"You will get the chance to de-
eide whether he will continue to
be President of the United States
His principles are elastic. He is
careless with the truth. He Is a
man totally unfit for the job. He
is a malignant, scheming sort of
individual who Is dangerous not
only to the United Mine Workers of
America, but to the United States
of America"
Mr.. Lewis turned his oratorical
guns on Attorney General Clark
and accused him Of tapping his
telephone wires both at home and
at his Office.
He suggested that Mr. Truman
and the Attorney General had
staged a skit" before a Texas audi
ence a week ago when Mr.. Clark
introduced Mr.. Truman as "the man
who stopped Joe Louis"
The President corrected Mr.. Clark
by saying he didn't have the muscle
for that, but said it was John Lewis
he had stopped.
"It's unlikely that Tom Clark
could have made a mistake, because
c. NETNIEDC Dee A O.