Evening star., 1952-06-15
Steel Crisis Laid
ClO Politicians
Writer BIomes Trumon for
Portison Support Of Murroy
By Fronk r. Kent

Portison Support OF Murroy
By Fronk R. Kent
The outstanding thing about the
steel situation is the demonstration
that in a great national crisis the execu-
tive branch of our Government con-
Germs itself not with facts but with
politics. Its primary purpose is to get
the union bosses what they want.
To a considerable degree this has
been the case since the CIO was organ
lied in 1885 with the active help of the
late Mr.. Roosevelt. who then forged a
political link between the new labor
organization and the White House upon
which his administrations consistently
leaned. Mr.. Truman has been even
more subServient to this alliance than
his predecessor. His speech before Con-
gress last Tuesday was the climax to
series of words, acts and attitudes so
plain as to make this charge impos-
Sible to deny. There has been no pre-
tense Of neutrality.
For six months the full weight of the
administration has been used to pro-
mote the union demands. Philip MUIR
ray and other CIO bosses have had the
run Of the White House and the ear
of the President as no others have had
it. Every move they made was with
White House knowledge and approval.
One OF Mr.. Murray's chief aides at a
C1O gathering a short while ago gloat-
lngly declared: This time we have a
very. very friendly gentleman in the
White House." AS soon as the con-
cededly labor-packed Wage Stabiliza-
this very. very friendly gentleman"
strongly indorsed all its lopsided
recommendations
His chief war mobilizer, Charles E.
Wilson. resigned because of the Truman
attitude. warning that the success of
the Murray effort made inevitable a
rise in prices and the promotion of a
dangerous imitation which would still
further heighten the cost of the defense
program Practically every economist
IN the country said the same thing. Yet
tnere can be no question that. despite
the gravest warnings, Mr.. Truman's at
tltude encouraged the steel strike. which
came Immediately upon the rejection
py the companies Of the wage boards
RIDICULOUS recommendations. Then Mr..
truman, with Mr.. Murray's SNUG ap-
proVal and to his great delight. seized
the steel companies and began to oper-
ATE them under Government auspices.
AT once there arose serious protest
In Congress and in the country. The
companies. believing this seizure an
unlawful and outrageous act inspired
py the CIO bosses, appealed to the Su-
preme Court. This did not prevent
Spokesmen for Mr. Truman from yio-
lently taking the CIO side. One of
these-Vice President Barkley-declared
that: 1T Is un-American for any groun
or any interest to deny or disregard
the verdict of any governmental
agency" which was promptly labeled as
one OF the silliest things any one has
said on either side of the subject.
However. while perhaps sillier It was
not as significant as the fervent declara.
ton OF Maurice Tobin, Secretary of La.
Dor, who. appearing on May IA before
$500 delegates to the sixth biennial con-
ventlon OF the United Steelworkers'
Union, spoke as follows: II am heart.
soul and spirit behind you in your fight
Tor wage increase" Just to make it
a little more clear Mr.. Tobin added.
The only way to settle the steel dispute
is to accept the recommendations of the
wage Sterilization Board" Mr.. Tobin
Is not only member of the cabinet.
but close friend and political adviser
OF Mr. Truman. After the companies
rejected the WSB recommendation. Mr..
Murray ordered the strike. Immediately
Mr. Truman seized" the companies.
Then Mr.. Murray called the strike of.
unctuously stating that he would not
strike against the Government" Then
the Supreme Court declared that MIR.
Truman had no constitutional right to
seize" the companies Right away Mr..
Murray again ordered his workers to
strike.
But the last Truman appeal to Con-
gress clinches it. That was so clearly
CIO that it might easily have been
written and delivered by Mr.. Murray
himself. The President asked Congress
now to give him specific power to seize
the steel companies. but urged he also
be given the right, while seizure lasted,
to raise wages and change working con-
ditions. In addition, he bitterly de.
nounced the Taft Hartley Act as unfair
and Intellectual. The Senate recorded
its belief that Mr. Truman, despite his
detestation thereof. should use the Taft
Hartley Act 1t will be agreed that his
advance insistence that this law will be
1nehectual Is an open invitation to the
labor bosses to sabotage 1t.