Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-06-22

Of agreement with organized
labor and the Government and
the time has come to oppose
powerful forces which are
seriously undermining our po-
litical and economic system.
American Can. Mr.. Stolk
said. is one of the companies
testing the United States
Chambers educational effort
which is called an Action
Course in Practical Politics"
This program got under way
last February and UP to Nav
]. Chamber officials report,
1000 business firms and organ
izations had ordered the
material.
II consists of a discussion
and a series of pamphlets at
leaders manual costing Sl2
and a series of pamphlets at
Sc a set.
Wide Coverage
The subjects discussed in
clude the individual in politics.
political party organization. the
political precinct, the political
campaign. political clubs. po-
litical meetings. problems of
the political leader, business
men in politics and views of
politicians.
The material has won praise
from representatives of both
major political parties as be-
ing nonpartisan. One profess
sional said 1t would be very
effective in getting businessmen
active in politicS-"if they will
use it," According to the Cham
Der officials. COPE. the po-
litical arm Of organized labor.
ordered IL manuals and IL
sets OF the pamphlets.
The Bethlehem (PaD Cham
Der Of Commerce was the first
organization to pick up the
course with a pilot group COM
posed Of 20 citizens represents
ing a cross section of the COM
munity. Democrats euA D~-'"H-
leans but no labor organiza-
tons.
We liked it the moment we
saw it and we got right into
it" said Harry Trend. man.
ager, in a telephone interview.
Attendance Excellent
He said attendance at the
courses was excellent and the
interest very. very good.
Partisanship was avoided. Mr..
Trend reported. through the
efforts of a good discussion
leader who kept the course on
the track.
The Bethlehem group met
every two weeks at a breakfast
meeting. Out of its experience
Mr.. Trend said some sugges-
tons have come for improving
the course.
1t should meet once a week
and the number in the group
should be more than IL. Also,
Mi Trend said, it was believed
that instead of the top echelon
of business and professional
people the succeeding groups
should include representatives
Of lower echelons.
Professionals .dvice
This leads back to the opinion
expressed by one political pro-
fessional:
If l we're the president of a
corporation. I'd go right.
through the plant, not just to
the executives. and urge them
to get interested in politics and
! wouldn't undertake TO tell
them either what party they
should get in"
viii the educational pro-
grams succeed? No one can say
at the moment. Many of the
country's bigger corporations
are remaining aloof from the
whole idea as something that
might lead to more trouble than
1t is worth. Others where the
top officials are interested have
taken no steps to see that the
programs are undertaken at
the branch plants.
Moreover, they have a long
way to go to catch up with or
ganized labor in the political
field. Business people have not
been very bright" one expert
said. They've got behind Is
years before they woke up.
THE plain truth is that bust
nessmen always have had a GER
tain contempt for politics. On
the other hand. labor people,
while they might not have liked
IL, tried to understand it--and
they have.