Evening star., 1952-11-22
AFL Council 10 Meet
Here tuesday 10 Name
Green's Successor
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page.)
Mr.. Green might affect the re-
peated attempts to bring about a
merger of the AFL and CIO. One
official said it was almost certain
new unity talks would be held
soon.
Mr.. Green was reelected presi-
dent Of the AFL at the convention
in New York only last September.
He presided at the convention,
but 1t was apparent age had taken
its toll of his once great energy.
Had Wanted to Be Preacher.
Mr.. Green, cherubic and gentle,
always seemed miscast as a labor
leader.
Born in Coshocton, his youth
ful ambition was to become a
Baptist preacher. His ambition
was denied by a lack of funds
with which to obtain the neces-
sary schooling. Before he had
finished grade school, William
Green was digging coal at Coshoc-
ton with his miner-father.
Far under the earth in those
days before the turn of the CEN
tury. he would preach sermons
to the black walls of coal. Young
Green thought he was preparing
for the pulpit, but as things turned
out, more through accident than
not. he was developing voice for
smoke filled labor halls.
All through life, Mr.. Green re-
tanned the mannerisms of an evan
gelist, the look of Sunday school,
teacher. which he was back I'M
Coshocton more than a half-cen-
tury ago. He always seemed out
of place among the hard boiled
John L. Lewises and Daniel J.I
Tobins.
Yet, if Mr.. Green had been.
rough. tough and uncompromis-
ing. like his contemporaries in the
high echelons of organized labor,
it is very doubtful if he would have.
remained on top so long. And in
retrospect, the American Fedora
ton of Labor fourished and grew
strong. at least in part, because
it was headed by gentleman who
knew how to compromise the
views of tough-minded union
chieftains.
But Mr.. Green didn't have an
easy time. He watched AFL
membership dip in the depression
years to the million mark, about
half of what it was when he took
over. He saw the Federation torn
asunder in 1885 by the rebellion"
that led to birth of the rival CIO
under Mr.. Lewis leadership.
Didn't Understand Lewis"
Mr.. Green never hated any one.
In speeches he used to rail at the
Communists who would destroy his
world and at business reactionaries
who would break the labor unions. !
On occasion his close associate
for years, John L. Lewis, would
reach down into his well-stocked
vocabulary and verbally kick him
around like football. But if Mr.. |
Green ever uttered strong word
in retaliation, there is no record
Of it.
Following his last break with |
Mr.. Lewis in 1947. and after the
miners chief had insulted him
publicly, all Mr.. Green would say
to friends was: Il don't under
stand John Lewis although I have
known him for years. But I know
he doesn't really mean what he
says"
Son of English Miner.
Mr.. Green was the son of an
English coal miner, Hugh Green,
who came to this country a few
years before William was born.
The family settled in a log cabin in
Coshocton. and the father almost
Immediately got job digging coal
at $3.50 a day.
Billy Green, as he still was
known to some of the oldsters in
the AFL. earned money for his
clothes from the time he was 10.
He got his first 'pay"-a SIS gold
piece-for reading the whole Bible
aloud to his religious and illiterate
father. When he was IA he
worked as water boy for a rail-
road gang. Then, at Is, he went
to work in the mine with his
father.
Missed Ministry.
He had no more formal educa-
ton than a one-room school had
taught him. But Billy showed a