Accouplement?

Out of the blue last week came the biggest labor news in six years. Without warning, wearing an unbecoming dovelike look, tough, gruff John L. Lewis clumped out of his lair brandishing a proposal for --of all things--labor peace. In a long, cooing letter to C.I.O. President Philip Murray and A.F. of L. President William Green, labor's black storm cloud proposed an end to the violent feud which has split labor for the last six years, kept labor's house in turmoil. Said Mr. Lewis:

"It is obvious that if accouplement* could be achieved . . . the results would be advantageous and in the public interest."

Few people among the dumfounded public were ready to deny this obvious fact. But, knowing Mr. Lewis, they wanted to know a couple of facts about the accouplement before they started applause. For years the animosity of Mr. Lewis and Mr. Green was the chief stumbling block to a reunion of labor. According to one published plan, the new president of accoupled labor would be A.F. of L.'s Secretary-Treasurer George Meany; Mr. Green would be turned out to pasture on a $20,000-a-year pension; Machiavellian Mr. Lewis would get a vice-presidency; Mr. Murray, to whom the whole thing came as a complete surprise, and who had good reason to believe he was in the middle of a squeeze play, would be offered the secretary-treasurer's job at $18,000.

Snapped angry Mr. Murray: "I think I can speak for myself and nobody can trade me for a job. ... I will not be blitzkrieged. . . ." Mr. Green denied that any secret negotiations had taken place or that any deal had been made on new officers.

Mr. Lewis' peace porridge (if that was what it was) would need a lot more cooking before it was ready to serve.

*The word is in the dictionary. Mr. Lewis is fond of $15 words.

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