Show Seeks Greater Unity x With e Invitation a a to Labor FL FL and CIO Representatives Will Work WorkS S With Management Members to Help Further Production Demands Dy By Dy News Analyst and Comme Commentator tor Service 1313 II Street W N-W Washington D D. D C. C When it was first announced that Donald Nelson had invited the American merican Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations Organizations lions to submit a list of names from which he mi might ht choose two new vice chairmen of the War Production board oard some eyebrows were lifted indiscreet in indiscreet indiscreet discreet doubt Politics said the cynical Nelson Nelson Nelton Nel son ton is in a tough fight to keep the army and the navy from running away way with the If he makes a generous gesture toward labor it will help him with the tion Lion Later on however some of the labor people neutral as between CIO wIO and began to pass the word around that Nelson was becoming be be- oming coming sold on a greater participation tion of labor in councils where war production policies are being settled His agreement have a fr frank talk Jalk they said was not merely a matter of clever politics Meanwhile Mean while the military men have by no means given up their struggle to get control of war production and for that matter control of ships and shipping the Maritime commissions commissions commission's commissions commission's commis commis- sion's domain but that hat is another story There are many indications that tabor labor is being brought into the fold not merely because the union officials of of- would naturally join forces with Nelson in any struggle between between between be be- tween mufti multi and khaki but because puny nany people are beginning to feel fee that it will be a healthy thing for forthe forthe forthe the much-assailed much capitalistic system system tem tern and the institution vaguely described de de- scribed bed as free enterprise In other words it is better to try I to get operation co-operation between capital capita I and labor by forcing each to share he the others other's troubles around a table than han it is to depend on fighting it Dut ut on the picket line Especially when there are a lot of New Deal Dea planners whose plans usually tend to give labor the break Two things probably have done dom more afore to bring about a growing faith n the idea of operation co-operation at the thi top lOp instead of strikes and lockouts g at t the bottom than anything else One Is a phenomenon which has set some of the timers old-timers Inthe in inthe inthe the labor department rubbing their eyes It is the way representatives representatives representatives of industry and labor onn on the War Labor board have palled around A real mutual respect and admiration has developed developed developed de de- de- de among some of the members of these two camps who have been trained to belleve believe believe be be- lieve that all on the other side wore horns As one veteran conciliator put it to me We have witnessed a miracle The other thing that has helped las Pas been the way in some instances instance not all by any means that the thi management labor committees have hav seen een able to work together In Inmany Inmany Inmany many places this attempt to have havethe havethe havethe the management of war industries tit lit down and talk over the problems Jf f how to increase production has been an utter failure In many of these cases I am told personalities are re to blame The word personalities ties covers a multitude of sins sins sins- and sinners Seeing Other Fellows Fellows' View In this particular case really more than personal characteristics have been seen the snag It is a case of findIng findIng find find- Ing tag men on both sides who not only have the mental and spiritual breadth to see the other fellows' fellows view But just plain every day experience experience ex ex- and training have a lot lotto lotto to 10 do with it too When labor first spoke up and said We want to lend a hand many people sympathetic with the labor viewpoint were exceedingly skeptical They said Who will do 10 the lending since labor has not yet developed in hi its ranks enough hands sufficiently trained in the bracket apper-bracket category of complicated administration That may maybe maybe maybe be true There are outstanding exceptions exceptions In both the and thedo the CIO do but these exceptions these men who have revealed their ability to deal with problems above the routine of union administration administration ad ad- ministration politics and nero are so loaded down with responsibilities now that they simply cannot take on new bur bur- dens That is one of the difficulties that Donald Nelson knew he would have to face If ii he had to select two men from labor for his board lIe He has found It hard to find sufficient men whose breadth of viewpoint equalled their business experience in the field of industry For that matter it is hard to find men in any field or in any country who measure up to the colossal tasks the war has imposed upon them them them-in in business in government government govern govern- ment in the army and navy If Mr Green and Mr Murray choose a man apiece who can live up up to the requirements they will make a real contribution to the war effort One government agency which of its own accord asked for such uch a worker co-worker from the ranks of labor received one whose record proved roved to be so unsavory that it took ook some maneuvering to cloak the incident from what might have been some iome very unpitying publicity We have witnessed several similar mistakes in the dismissals from the However there Is considerable considerable considerable consider consider- able optimism expressed in some circles to the effect that labor will be able to contribute its share The optimists point to examples of high caliber men representing opposite sides of Americas America's work bench getting their heads together tog without clenching their fists They cite the War Labor board as an example And these hopeful observers con con- tend end that this miracle which they have seen performed can be repeat ed They even say that it will have to be repeated for if labor and capital capi caps tal continue to fight after the war while innocent bystanders suffer in inthe inthe inthe the melee there is no escape for America from what they call the hoosegow of State socialism ire Notes Note From a Broadcasters Broadcaster's Diary Two men who had served in the thi Midway battle were interviewed on the air recently The broadcaster as is the custom talked with them beforehand wrote out the script and then submitted it to the two men In the description de of the engagement in which the men took part one man turned every we the interviewer had written in the script to to an I The other turned every I into awe awe a we we e e e Colonel Lord a brilliant army officer of of- fleer who has been the right hand of Vice President Wallace in his important important im im- im behind the scenes job in the Board of Economic Warfare was recently ordered to shift shUt to the War Production board to take charge of inventions I ran into him in the club the other day and asked him if he had taken up his new work He had not he said and never might because he thought he was going to be assigned as all aU of his ilk would like to be to active duty in the thick of things He made no comment but a brother officer sitting beside him and also chained to a desk against his will remarked Its got so now that they tell teU us we are cowards il if we try to desert Washington to get getto getto getto to the front I was crossing the park late one night A full moon spread a coat of silver over silent lawn and sleeping sleeping sleep sleep- ing trees Suddenly I noticed ahead of me on a bench an officer and a girl He was a tall attractive fellow fel fel- fellow low the ideal fighting man squarer shouldered handsome The girl was beautiful in the moonlight They sat close together talking earnestly I stopped in the shadow I felt em em- It was as if I were walking walking walk walk- ing into a room an intruder shattering shattering shat shat- the romance and beauty of that sc scene ne They had not noticed me so instead of walking past them themI I turned off and cut across the grass that carpeted my footfall It was quiet and as I passed behind behind be be- hind them I could not help hearing Dearest he was saying you know perfectly well that you can get those extra gasoline ration tickets tick ets from your office Buy Duy Buy War Bonds Donds- |