Happy Refrain

According to contemporary folklore, the war in U. S. Labor is chiefly a war between William Green and John L. Lewis. Last week the heroes of this illusion continued to nurture it. The waning 58th annual convention of the American Federation of Labor in Houston provided an excellent stage for Mr. Green and colleagues, who made believe that "Dictator" Lewis had only to step out of C.I.O. in order to bring about peace. In Washington, Mr. Lewis gravely responded in kind: "I am willing to resign tomorrow or any day thereafter as chairman of the C.I.O. if Mr. Green will simultaneously resign as president of the A.F. of L. It then may be possible...to conclude a peace pact."

Replied William Green: "The chairman of the C.I.O. is still making grandstand plays....Even if he resigned as chairman of the C.I.O., he would still remain its dictator behind the scenes, because he would remain as president and dictator of the United Mine Workers of America, the...financial angel of the C.I.O."

Messrs. Green & Lewis are well aware that if they vanished simultaneously, they would take with them neither the ramified roots of Craft v. Industrial unionism nor their sundry satraps, jockeying for power. The byplay last week was important only because it. continued a notable revival of peace talk & thought.

A leading labor peace revivalist was Franklin Roosevelt. On the same day last fortnight, he recommended peace in a message to the A.F. of L., and via the "White House Spokesman" read to Industry and Labor alike a polemic on the evils of sabre-rattling. To him then went Newspaper Guildsman Heywood Broun. Let the President, said C.I.O.'s Broun, create a commission to give U.S. Labor the same cool study which was recently applied at White House order to British and Swedish industrial relations.

Last week none other than John L. Lewis went out of his way to plump for that suggestion. At Houston, Teamster Daniel J. Tobin made himself the No. 1 figure of this year's A.F. of L. convention by pounding for peace, at last forced William Green to pay attention to the hitherto neglected message from Mr. Roosevelt. After much verbiage on the floor, much talk behind doors, Dan Tobin was able to announce that he had received a promise of positive action for peace from the all-powerful executive council.

Mr. Tobin, one of the few New Dealers on the council, in the last two Presidential campaigns served Franklin Roosevelt on the Democratic Labor Committee. As a result of his efforts last week, President Green was noticeably less militant than at the start of the convention. Invited to walk through A.F. of L.'s "open door" were C.I.O. textile, automobile, garment and oil unions. Cried Bill Green to them: "The key has been thrown away and we are singing that happy refrain, 'Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home?' "

Only one remotely likely to come home without the rest of C.I.O. is the rich, potent International Ladies Garment Workers of America, whose President David Dubinsky has summoned his executive board to decide whether to participate in C.I.O.'s first convention next month. Last week Mr. Dubinsky's Justice plugged editorially for intervention by Mr. Roosevelt.

At week's end, the stage was just about set for a walk-on by Franklin Roosevelt, when & if he should undertake a task tremendous in its difficulties and its potential rewards. Last person to be expected as an understudy for that task .is Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins. Nonetheless, in a speech at Columbus, Ohio, assertive Miss Perkins offered the first definite formula to come from an Administration source. Her proposal: a mediation board including five A.F. of L. representatives, five C.I.O., and three neutrals, from whom would be chosen an impartial chairman. Said Dan Tobin: "It's my opinion that if the Government people did less talking it would be just as well."

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