Evening star., 1950-08-24
Suspicious Aroused
OF Red Activity With
Outbreak Of Strikes
Union Unrest, However,
Due to Sudden Turn to
Period of Instability
Bv David Laurence

The sudden outbreak of strikes
In the midst of an international
emergency has raised many sus-
picions as to whether the Com
munists have inspired these work
stoppages.
It is,Aof course, known tech
nique of the Communists to select
key industries and means of trans
portation as fields for obstruction.
But the present wave of strikes
cannot be laid at the doorstep
of the Communists insofar as
control of the unions themselves
is concerned. The strikes are oc-
curing among unions known not
to be Communist-controlled.
The question then arises as to
whether the officers and leaders
of the unions are aware of the
tactics that are employed by un-
dercover agents of the Communist
Party. It would be very easy for
troublemakerS to conceal, under
an ardent or jealous devotion to
unionism, a loyalty to the Com
munist Party line, which COM
mandS that strikes be inStigated
wherever possible in countries
that supply materials for war pur-
poses. The~strikes in Europe when
Marshall Plan supplies were ar
irving are duplicated in other
parts of the world
officials here familiar with
Communist activity say that, so
far as they have been able to
observe, the officers of the unions
known not to be Communist con-
trolled are particularly vigilant
and can detect Communist activity
The number of unions in America
with known Communists in posi-
tions of control is relatively small.
Cooperating as a Whole.
The labor unions as a whole
are cooperating with the au-
thorities here in furnishing in
formation concerning Communist
agents who appear in their ranks.
The trend is toward more and
more cooperation with the Fed
eral Government so that methods
Of ridding the unions of Com
munists may be applied. The
truth is the unions themselves
in the last couple years have
been doing splendid job in re-
moving Communist agitators from
their ranks.
The chief technique of the
Communists has not necessarily
been to elect the officers but to
develop factional strength so that,
when negotiations with manage
ment have progressed to the point
where a settlement is possible
monkey wrenches can be thrown
into the machinery and yet make
it appear that such tactics are
motivated by natural causes,
If, then, there are no external
factors or influences causing the
present strikes, what is back of
the work stoppages? The answer
is that the sudden turn from
period of relative stability to one
OF instability, especially with a
possible wage-freeze in the offing,
has stirred up much unrest inside
unions.
Members Of Congress little real
lie what effect the talk of
price and wage controls has had
throughout the country. 1t has
made a deep impression on union
leaders, who don't know whether
they had better reopen contracts
and get negotiations started at
once or whether they should do
nothing. The latter course some
times stimulates rebellious fac
ttons to ask for increases even
though the leaders themselves
might be content to go along
without changes. 1t is in this area
OF uncertainty that Communist
agents could operate effectively
and still perhaps escape detection.
Question of Wages.
The pricipal labor dispute OF
today-between the railroads and
some of the union brotherhoods
began long before the Korean
crisis broke. The effort to get
for 40 hours the same wages now
paid for 48 hours of work is
something which some of the rail
unions have had under way fol
long time. Other unions ir
industry generally made these
demands Immediately after VI
day. The rail unions may not ex-
pect to get any such big in
crease and are willing to com
promise. The question, therefore
is one of dollars and cents anc
costs rather than hours of work
Indeed, the demand is really q
device to get higher wages for the
40-hour week and to get increased
pay for the overtime.
The White House has been
struggling with the issue for a
long time. Both sides are SPAR
ring for advantage and the unions
now have issued Nationwide
strike call. Demands by the
rail unions that the Govern
ment take over the railroads are
being made with the hope that
better terms can be gotten from
the Truman administration than
from the rail executives. It is
most unfortunate that presidential
boards and mediation agencies
have not been sufficiently effective
to keep the Nations transporta-
tion systems free of serious dis
putes these last several months.
1t probably will mean the pas
sage of restrictive legislation by
Congress if the public is seriously
inconvenienced. Under the stim-
ulus of war emergency the en-
actment of such laws is far more
likely than would otherwise be
the case with congressional cleo
tionS so close