Evening star., 1951-11-11
Trumon's Appeal to CI0
Considered 'Timid'
Writer Finds Reuther's Reply
'TrucuIent Rejection
By Fronk R. Kent

Perhaps President Truman's commu-
nication this week to the CIO convention
in New York-and its reception-will
not affect the Federal jobholders and
the pressure groups who constitute the
bulk OF his political support. But to the
ordinary citizen who does not belong to
these and is not, directly or indirectly.
the recipient of governmental largess, it
will not appeal. At any rate 1t should
not be passed over without comment.
Alarmed-as he and most people are
at the increasing menace of an uncon-
trolled imitation, and after the highest
Of his defense-effort officials had hoisted
hurricane signals and scored the serious
interference with armament production
caused by strikes and slowdowns in key
plants. the President ventured to write a
letter on the subject TO the CLIO. The
inadequacy Of this letter Is only exceeded
by its timidity. It Is doubtful, indeed,
whether any President ever penned q
less self-respecting message.
Il
Here Is the country faced with the
graveSt crisis in its history, pouring
out uncounted billions for defense,
straining under a debt of undreamed-of
size and with its people taxed as never
before. And here Is an organization
politically linked with the Truman ad-
ministration using the national emer-
gency for its own selfish and greedy
purposes.
Months ago Charles E. Wilson de-
clared the cost of armament had ad-
vanced more than 20 per cent. Several
weeks ago Mr.. Wilson and other out
standing defense officials singled out,
from among many, three CIO strikes
in aircraft plants which they asserted
already had caused airplane production
to fall far below schedule. All Mr.. Tru-
man did about that was to refer the
leases" to his Wage Sterilization Board.
already overwhelmed with 130 other
cases previously referred. This was
three weeks ago. The strikes still con-
tinue.
Now CIO leaders-and those of the
AFL, too are preparing further inf1a-
tionary wage demands and at the same
time denouncing Congress for not check
ing imitation. Mr.. Truman echoes this
complaint, though more than year ago
Congress gave him full powers to con-
troll imitation. He did not use these
powers then and he is not using them
now. Despite the numerous strikes now
affecting the Nation; despite the clear
CIO purpose to launch its seventh wage
raise drive, thus threatening to tie up
the entire steel industry; despite the
outspoken feeling of the men in the
front of the defense effort whose plans
are being shot to pieces, and despite the
stupendous increase in armament cost
forced by labor recalcitrancy-despite
all these things in Mr.. Truman's letter
Of more than thousand words the
words strike" or SLOW down" are not
once said.
Nor in the letter is there one word
Of reprimand or admonition. To be
sure there was an appeal to "all OF
us" to redouble our efforts in the months
ahead, so that I'VE may become strong"
The workingman and industry alike
must show restraint.
This mild appeal and also the more
blunt one made by Mike Disable were
promptly rejected by Walter Reuther,
the real boss of the CIO, who offered a
resolution of rejection which included
the following: 1--WE wish to make clear
that we shall never submit to discrim-
mating wage increases, or unfair policies
of any kind which threaten the standard
of living and the hard-won collective
bargaining advance of free American
labor or will undermine the basic rights
of workers to organize and take con-
centrated action" In brief. this means
I'VE will not agree to call of strikes or
refrain from pushing for more wages or
abide by any ruling Of the Wage Sta
bilization Board" It is difficult to re-
call a more timid presidential appeal to
a recalcitrant group or a more trucu-
lent rejection Of presidential message.
Combined. they make the outlook pretty
bleak. Combined, they ought to make
the ordinary citizen pretty sore.