Evening star., 1953-04-19
Shortage Of Munitions
Traced to Steel Strike
Writer Blomes Trumun's Policy
For Production Slump
By Fronk R. Kent


BY Fronk R. Kent
There is no doubt that revelations as
to the shortage in ammunition in Korea
made by Gen. Van Fleet upon his
retirement last month deeply shocked
people generally throughout the coun-
try. Beneficial results were not only to
spur production, correcting this menac-
ing state of affairs, but to make sure it
is never repeated. Contradictory evil
dence as to the responsibility has come
from men of high character and ability.
The result is the American people as a
whole know that something went very
wrong but they do not know whom to
blame. The Senate subcommittee, of
which Senator Margaret Chase Smith
is chairman and Senator Harry F. Byrd,
the most incisive and effective member.
is determined to get at the truth and
tell it to us. This would be very great
public service. Clearly, it is vital to
know. At the moment there is great
controversy over whether the fault lies
with the Army, as contended by Robert
Lovett and others, or with the civilian
directors of defense in the last admins
tration, as maintained by Senator Stew
art Symington of Missouri.
X
It is to be hoped the heat of this ar
gument will not obscure the fact that
very large part of the responsibility
must be placed upon the great strike Of
1851. Shrill shouts Of denial that this
is so have come from the CIO leaders.
but these do not alter the facts. The
basic one is that in the midst Of grave
national crisis the CIO called a strike
and insisted upon calling a strike-in
the steel industry which struck at the
whole defense program.
There has been undisputed military
testimony that this strike delayed. and
in some cases stopped, the manufacture
of badly needed munitions. There has
also been undisputed testimony from
civilian heads of the defense effort
that the strike increased the cost OF
the defense effort by 20 per cent.
This means that the Government had to
pay for four-fifths of it's needed supply
as much as it had planned to pay for
five, fifths. The chief man who made
this charge was Charles E. Wilson.
then head of the War Mobilization
Board. He resigned because he could
not get presidential support in his
effort to avert the strike.
If the part of President Truman in
this strike is not known to citizens gen.
orally, it should be. For the truth Is
hot 1ol fn, n
there would have been no strike. The
role he played was thoroughly dis
creditable one and never has ade-
quately been defended or excused.
From the start his attitude encouraged
the CIO leaderS-particularly the late
Philip Murray, head of the CIO and
head also of the great steel workers
union. 1t has been charged-and never
denied-that before Mr.. Murray called
the strike he obtained a promise from
Mr.. Truman that he would not evoke
the injunction provision in the Taft
Hartley Act. This would have given the
unions and the steel companies 80 more
days in which to reach an agreement
but would have continued uninterrupted
production. When the steel companies
refused to accept the union terms, Mr..
Truman, throwing the White House
weight fully on the union side, de-
nounced the companies in almost the
same impassioned words as the union
publicity agents, and then seized the
plants.
When on June Z 1851, the Supreme
Court. by a 6-to-3 verdict. held the
Presidents action illegal, the strike,
with White House backing, was on and
ended only when the companies, real
lzing that the White House weight
was too great to resist. yielded to the
union demands. During this period
steel production had ceased and the
whole defense effort-particularlv in
the manufacture of munitions-slowed
down. During the whole of this strug-
gle, the result of which was greatly ia
increase imitation, the President utterly
ignored the arguments of the COM
panies, made himself complete par
tiSan of the union.
Despite the vigor with which Mr..
Truman beat his breast in this matter.
and his noisy proclamations of the
purity of his heart, the known political
link of the CIO with the President and
his party makes it impossible not to
attribute politics as the overwhelming
influence in Mr.. Truman's course. And
when the facts are all assembled 1t Is
impossible not to place large respon-
sibility for the munitions shortage in
Korea upon this 1851 steel strike. The
report of the Senate subcommittee will
be worthless If it ignores these facts.
Correction-Recently in this column
it was stated that Stephen Mitchell,
Democratic national chairman was a
member Of the Americans for Demo-
cratic Action. Mr.. Mitchell asserts he
is not and never has been a member
Also, he asserts Mr.. Stevenson is not
member. In addition Mr.. Mitchell
disclaims responsibility for the plan to
hold a Democratic National Convention
next year. -F.R.K.
nxYyhi - g.