| Show Victor Riesel 1 ese Ike Will Meet Labor Chiefs Within a few weeks of Gen Gen- General General eral cral Eisenhower's return to a apolitically politically apolitically feverish U U. S. S his managers hope to closet iF him with small t. t fj groups of nai national national na na- u union n i ion o n t chiefs so they i i can t throw h row f their grits ques- 4 1 1 at him in inI private and and i S I get the bluntest bluntest blunt- blunt r 3 est answers he Mr lUr Riesel can give on what labor can expect from him This is the Eisenhower camps camp's first bid for labor support sup sup- port port and and it will be m made directly to groups of labor leaders in cities clues ar around und the country not in Washington Although the general has told his people he will not campaign in m the traditional sense he has indicated he would be willing willingto to sit with the union chiefs and discuss his labor philosophy his supporters now working out of or Chicago have begun to approach the union officials Apparently the Eisenhower strategists have learned that the national C CIO I 0 and its Political Political Political Po Po- Po- Po Action Committee will fight for a Democratic candidate candidate candidate candi candi- date regardless of oC the nominee nominee nomi nomi- nee That apparently is the decision of Philip Murray 1 who is setting political policy this yea year Blast last in Detroit Furthermore the first C CIO I 0 blast against Ike is expected from auto union circles when the general invades Detroit the nations nation's most heavily concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- labor front next June 14 There the C CIO I 0 and the Democratic party are in one affectionate political family family family fam fam- ily with Walter Valter Reuther and Democratic Governor Soapy Williams not only of of mighty value to Fach c ach other as labor and political leaders but as men personally fond of each other It would be politically naive not to expect some auto union chiefs to blast the general as ashe ashe ashe he swings in for one of his few important speeches speeches and and probably probably probably ably the only one to a solid lab labor r city That attack will come Not as spectacular tactically as the C CIO I 0 the leaders of the theA A F L move cautiously These men who talk for members may decide to stay neutral as a national outfit Preponderantly Democratic the A F L hierarchy nevertheless nevertheless nevertheless less wants to swing back to the theold theold theold old Sam Gompers day of bargaining bargaining bar bar- gaining with both parties parties and and that's what the Eisenhower people count on No Indorsements Therell There'll be no A F L political indorsements until at least Aug 11 when the top man 15 council meets in Atlantic City Then they'll have before them the presidential nominees But its it's doubtful they'll take official official official cial action That fairly well sums up some 80 of the A F Ls L's policymakers policymakers policymakers policy policy- makers on the first and second lines of command They're for forthe forthe forthe the Democrats They'll take even Senator Russell a man few of them know The other 20 are divided among Ike Taft and Warren in about that order If the A F L chiefs could force their personal choice on the Democrats they'd name Governor Stevenson for president president president dent and Senator Kefauver for vice president No doubt ab about ut that The night President Truman Truman Truman Tru Tru- man spoke so blisteringly to the Americans for Democratic Action A ADA D A a small group met in the Statler Hotel in Washington Friendly to Harriman Averell Harriman and Senator Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor Kefauver sat with some A F L labor people including David Dubinsky and a high official of the Department of Labor If I judge reports correctly correctly correctly cor cor- they were friendly indeed indeed indeed in in- deed to Harriman but left little doubt that they'd prefer to see sec seea seca a Stevenson draft They left feeling that Senator Kefauver would take second place on I such a ticket They like Harriman Harriman Harriman Harri Harri- man but just feel he would make a dull campaigner Later that night and during the next few days the sophisticated sophisticated sophisticated labor chiefs close to Mr Truman and the White House group now working on the national national national na na- na- na ticket told intimates that they now believe they have Governor Stevenson's w word o 0 r d that he will accept a draft So to talk in the practical terms of the politicians the people have the labor leaders sewn up and up-and and the Republican Republican Re Re- Republican publican party whoever its nominee will need to go over their heads to get gel at a rank and file labor vote If there is such |
