Evening star. [volume], May 27, 1948, Image 15

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
v * :
Nationalizing of Rails
Is Really Last Thing
Labor Unions Want
Leaders Must Have Held
Tongues in Cheek When
Issuing Resolution
By David Lawrence
Nationalisation — Government
ownership—of railroads Is really
the last thins railroad labor unions
want. They have, with one excep
tion, however, sponsored a resolu
tion advocating such ^ course
mostly as a piece of strategy at the
moment.
What the railroad labor union
chiefs want Is to draw attention to
the fact that the workers are not
being given their increases in wages
while the Government, temporarily j
in possession of the roads, does not
take control of the revenue# or
profits.
This is true only theoretically.
Actually today the Government,
through the Interstate Commerce'
Commission, does control the
amount of revenue that can be
collected from passengers and ship
pers and in doing so examines
profits and rate of return on money
Invested. The price of transporta- I
tion has lohg been fixed by gov
ernmental action and because of
the amount of red tape involved,!
the rises in freight and passenger
rates often lag and are not given
to the railroads till long after their j
expenses for materials and wages
have risen. No subsidy is provided
for such loss.
U( Would Hit Unions, Too.
This lag would happen to the
railroad unions, too, if they ever,
came under permanent Government
ownership or control. The rail- i
workers’ unions need only take a
look at what happens to the em
• ployes of the Federal departments
and bureaus generally. When
workers have to wait for Congress!
amid its multifarious activities to
pass legislation to take care of;
wages and benefits for Government!
employes, they really do some
waiting.
The rail union chiefs know all
this and must have had their
tongues in their cheeks when they
allowed themselves to be persuaded
to issue a resolution favoring na
tionalization. The truth is they
are on the spot. The unions com
prising nearly 90 per cent of the
workers accepted the findings of a
presidential board and a minority
dissented and threatened a strike.
There was nothing left to do but
for the Government to take tem
porary possession of the roads and
operate them through existing man-'
agement till the dissenting unions
came to terms.
If the Government had done
nothing and a Nation-wide strike;
had delivered a crushing blow to.
the economic system with untold,
losses to the public, there would
probably not have been any legal
right to strike left today among
the rail unions. The rail labor
executives who passed the resolu
tion favoring Government owner
ship perhaps thought the reading
public would forget that Congress
has already prohibited any Govern
ment workers from belonging to a
union that insists on the right to!
strike. It seems incredible, there-'
fore, that the rail unions should be
advocating ,a course of action that
would lose ‘ them permanently the
right to strike.
It is a lucky thing for the railroad
brotherhoods that the Government
took over and did not permit a
strike on the rail systems to mate
rialize. Had there been such a
tie-up Congress overnight would
have passed a law stipulating that
all disputes on common carriers
must be settled by arbitration and.
making it a violation of law for any
railroad union to recommend to its
members rejection of the findings of
i fact-finding board appointed by
the President to settle labor dis
putes.
Could no ."sominif ease.
There would have been nothing
rise for Congress to do. Sentiment J
for Government operation of the
-ailroads is negligible in America
for the simple reason that there is
no public outcry against the man
agement or the workers from the
standpoint of efficiency of opera-1
tiorr. Certainly, Congress would not
oass such a law just to subsidize
ailworkers’ unions. The theory
hat the employes wrould be better
iff under Government ownership
■han private management is fan
tastic. Too much proof to the con
’■ary exists as between employes in
"lovernment and private industry.
Compulsory arbitration is by no
means popular either in Govern
ment or private circles. It implies
an inability of the parties to work
nut their own problems on a mu
tually satisfactory basis and substi
tutes the judgment usually of one
man who sits as the umpire in a
panel of representatives of em
ployers and unions. Government
management isn’t the answer—the
experience during the latter part of
the World War I period proved that
conclusively—and neither is com
pulsory arbitration.
The real answer lies in the toler
ance, good sense and forbearance
of management and representatives
of the workers. In this instance the
19 rail unions that accepted the
settlement recommended by the
presidential fact-finding board put
their stamp of approval on the jus
tice of the award. The other three
unions are just dead wrong and the
sooner they acknowledge their error
and go along with the others the
greater gain there will be for the
process of volition as opposed to the
rule of coercion which nobody
wants.
t Reproduction Rights Reserved.)
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With<hcl^ Ac
This Changing World
Foreign Policy Inconsistencies Seen
Due to Unexpected Truman Moves
By Constantine Brown
The lack of cohesion between the
White House and State Department
is chiefly responsible for the incon
sistencies in our foreign policies.
11 is an open
secret that in
recent weeks the
State Depart
ment has been
informed about
! certain White
House decisions
so late that it
was unable to
take any correc
tive action or do
anythin? to off
set them.
For instance.
President Tru
man’s reported
intimations to
Constantin*
Brown.
Dr. Chaim weizmann, provisional
president of the state of Israel, that
the United States might make a
loan to the new nation was not
known in sufficient time to inform
Ambassador Lewis Douglas in Lon
don, who has been having daily
conversations with Foreign Secre
tary Bevin about such a step.
Both the Ambassador and Foreign
Secretary learned this news while
they were discussing the possibility
of inducing King Abdullah of
Trans-Jordan to accept the United
Nations cease-fire order.
Trans-Jordan Ignored.
Likewise, the State Department
learned only on May 14 of Presi
dent Truman’s decision to recognize
the de facto existence of the state of
Israel later that day. It is true that
the President has power to formu
late foreign policy and to decide on
any matters connected therewith.
But it is pointed out that recog
nition of the new state, which is im
portant from both the domestic and
international viewpoints, could have
been extended in a manner which
would not have placed the United
States in a position of partiality to
the Jews and hostility to the Arabs.
Although King Abdullah has sub
mitted to the American Government
a request for the recognition of
Trans-Jordan—which had never
been extended after his government
was established—the request was
ignored because it was considered
‘■untimely’’ by our policy-framers.
Abdullah, according to our diplo
matic observers and to many mili
tant Zionists, is an important per
sonage in the Middle East who
could have been Induced to be
more co-operative than other Arab
rulers. He is hostile to King Ibn
Sand because the latter dispossessed
his father of the holy cities of
Mecca and Medina. Repeatedly he
has been reported ready to play a
lone-wolf role in the Arab world.
He also has at his disposal the
best and strongest organized Arab
military force.
Had more thought been given to
what might happen ih the Middle
East after the British gave up
their mandate in Palestine, and
had there been consultation between
the White House and State De
partment, it would be reasonable to
believe that President Truman
could have recognized Trans-Jordan
at the same time as Israel.
Abdullah is shrewd and intelli
gent. He knows that he could
■obtain more advantages from the
United States than from Britain.
A mere gesture by our Government
would have made a deep impression
in Amman, Abdullah's capital, and
would not fcave hurt Israel in any
way.
If President Truman had dis
cussed these matters more thor
oughly with his advisers, it is con
ceivable that he could have at-!
tempted by diplomatic mean* to
break the Arab front.
No Danger of Red Veto.
It is true that the White House
still has a deep conviction that the!
U. N. can impose peace on mili-j
tarily and economically weak
states. This conviction is further
increased by the fact that the
U. S. S. R.. which uses its veto
power on the slightest excuse, also
has agreed to creation of a Jewish
state, but for reasons different from
our own. Hence, there was no
danger of a veto from the Rus
sian side when the question of en
forcing a truce, and applying coer
cive measures to the Arabs, came
up in the Security Council.
Britain, France and China, in
the opinion of the White House,
are so dependent on American eco
nomic and financial support that
they could not adopt a truly inde
pendent policy, regardless of how’
much they might want to deal with
the situation in the Middle £ast in
a different manner.
All the reports from the U. N
in New York indicate, however,
that most of the representatives of
other members privately express
their concern over the possibility
that our policy might be regarded
as partial toward one party or the
other in the Palestine conflict.
Rank partisanship will not help the
U. N. fulfill the role for which it!
was created.
Still Can Be Drafted
Vandenberg’s Disclaimer Fails to Alter
His Availability for G. O. P. Nomination
By Doris Fleeson
Senator Vandenberg's newest dis
claimer does not alter his availabil
ity for the Republican nomination;
for President.
If a deadlock does occur and
party teaaers
seeking a com- *
promise settle on i
Senator Van- I
denberg, they!
will draft him I
and he will ac- I
cept. This has 1
always been his y
anly chance as
rjis unusual sta
tus virtually pre
luded active
campaigning. He .
was wisely and
no doubt hon- i
estly content to *
have it so; it
Doris Fleeson.
nappens also 10 oe me Desr pomurs
in his case.
Many professional politicos, how
ever, dispute the widely held as
sumption that Senator Vandenberg
must surely emerge as the nominee
from any smoke-filled room. They
think Mr. Vandenberg realizes it and
they admire him for his steady grip
on realities in the face of incredible
adulation from public opinion
channels.
Point* of Argument.
Their first point is that you never
can tell what might come out of a
conference of men working under
measure in the convention atmos
phere, which may not be hysterical
but is always surcharged with
emotion.
The rest of their argument pivots
on the fact that the professionals
will be firmly in the saddle at Phila
delphia, planning and hoping for a
long tenure of office. All believe
President Truman will be renomi
nated and will be easy pickings.
Because Senator Vandenberg Is
64 now and has a heart condition
for which he regularly takes digi
talis. it is assumed he would be a
one-termer: it has also been pro
posed that Gov. Dewey take the vice
presidency with Senator Vanden
berg on the understanding he is the
heir apparent.
A professional looks at that set
up and asks himself why the Re
publicans should so maneuver when
they have a weak opponent and
qualified candidates who could rea
sonably expect to keep them on the
gravy train eight years. Such men
also have more to offer when the
deals begin.
Todav the Democrats have the
heavy liabilities that go with White
House responsibility; four years from
now the Republicans will have them
and the Democrats may have hit
the comeback trail. Why, it is
asked, deliberately plan a wide-open
situation at that time?
These speculations are offered by
experienced men in both parties
without prejudice to any candidate.
Pro-Dewey people profess to have
no idea what goes on in his mind;
they do insist he is smart enough to
know that promises made now about
’52 are mirages; people die, resign
or change their minds while events
may alter the political scene be
yond all foresight.
Core of Strength.
Republican internationalists are
the core of Senator Vandenberg’s
national strength. That wing of the
party has lost Gen. Eisenhower
watched Harold Stassen stumble at
the critical moment and does not
much trust the others.
But the record of the Republican
Congress, notably the House, shows
a party more nationalist than Sen
ator Vandenberg. And in a party
out of power, its members of Con
gress are a powerful convention in
fluence. The Senator of. course
learned this well as he fought his
; foreign policy through; he may well
be sincere in saying that he feels
he can do more in his present post
leading a bipartisan Senate coali
tion in foreign affairs than trying
to lead his own party from the
White House. Also, should Senator
Vandenberg become President, Sen
ator Wiley of Wisconsin would stand
to become chairman of Foreign Re
lations, a prospect alarming to any i
internationalist.
On the domestic side there is little
to choose between Senator Vanden
berg and the others. Statistical
studies show that there Senator f
Vandenberg, a self-proclaimed Ham
iltonian, votes approximately like
Senator Taft. Many liberals prefer
Senator Taft because of his health,
education and housing bills.
Dr. Holmes' Testimonial
To Be Conducted Friday
•y th« Associated Press ’
BALTIMORE. May 27 —State and
city leaders will join the public;
tomorrow in a testimonial to Dr.
Dwight O. W. Holmes, retiring pres
ident of Morgan State College.
Gov. Lane, Senator O'Conor,
Democrat, of Maryland; Mayor
D'Alesandro and State Senate Pres
ident Joseph R. Byrnes will partici
pate in a series of greetings at the
Enon Baptist Church here.
LOUIE
—By Harry Hanan
On the Other Hand
The President, the Party and Who
Exercises Control After Election
By Lowell Mellett
The fact we find easiest to forget
in election years is that we don’t
merely elect a President. We elect
a party. And the fact we fail to
uuueisiuiiu en
tirely, it seems,
is the party is
seldom control
led by the Presi
dent we elect.
Plenty is said
op the subject
during the cam
pa i g n s, of
course. In re
cent years the
Rep u b 1 i c a n s
have warned
that any Demo
cratic adminis
tration would be
controlled b y
Lowell Melleti.
organized labor, or, if that doesn't
frighten the voters, by the Com
munists, And the Democrats have
warned that election of a Republi
can administration meant turning
the Government over to Big Busi
ness. (The Demdcrats are not say
ing much about Wall Street this
year, in the light of the President's
intimate surroundings.)
Allowing for considerable exag
geration in each case, there is a
fair amount of truth in both warn
ings. Since this, by all signs, is
a Republican year the voters would
do well to pay particular attention
to what the Democrats are saying
about the Republicans. What is
the country likely to get from a Re
publican administration? The an
swer is found in the record of the
present Republican Congress. It is
an answer that won't be changed
after next November unless the new
tenant of the White House is an
inspired leader, one capable of
turning Congress into a “rubber
stamp,’’ as Roosevelt was accused of
doing in the early New Deal days.
Is Big Business on Job?
. You can figure out for yourself
whether or not any of the Republi
can candidates is gifted with such
inspirational leadership. Meantime
nbserve the Congress. Is Big Busi
ness on the job?
A letter went put this week from
the National Associaton of Home
Builders to the real estate men, con
struction companies and mortgage
institutions that compose its mem
bership. Signed by Frank W. Cort
wright, executive vice president in
charge of its Washington lobby, the
letter opened with this remark:
i ‘'The congressional mill continues
to grind exceeding slow and fine,”
As the letter progressed it became
clear that this is eminently satis
factory to the NAHB. What the
congressional mill is grinding ex
ceeding slow and fine is the long
range housing legislation, sponsored
by Senator Taft and passed by the
Senate. It is being fought to a
standstill in the House. Delayed
again' and again by Finance Com
mittee Chairman Wolcott, “the dom
inating figure in the House insofar
as housing legislation is concerned,”
the bill has not yet reached the
House floor. Mr. Wolcott’s committee
has heard the "highly emotional
arguments” of witnesses favorable
to the bill, but has “deferred” until
June the testimony of those opposed
to it.
Nation Wants Action.
Legislative action, “if any,” says
the letter, must be completed there
fore in the last few days before re-1
cessing June 18 or between political
conventions, if the Congress returns
for that brief period.
If there is any one subject on
which the country at large has
wanted action from Congress it is,
housing. The cynical Mr. Cort-:
wright does not overstate the fact;
when he calls its advocates “highly
emotional.” But he doesn’t under
state the situation when he indi
cates that they will continue to be|
denied their desire. The NAHB has
the matter in hand.
New housing is something people
know about. Few have so sharp an
understanding of other conflicts be
tween the national interest and pri
vate interests. So what we call Big
Business is having its way in the
House in the emasculation of the
Reciprocal Trade Act, just as it did
with the Natural Gas Act, the TVA
appropriation and the tideland oil
reserves. There are other matters,
but this space is used up.
The moral is: Don’t forget Con-;
gress on election day.
McLemore—
Offers Few Notes
To the Traveler
By Henry McLemore
One thing that makes me so
popular with all my friends and
neighbors is that I seldom stay in
one place very long. About the
time they are so
sick of me that
all manners of
mayhem are
being discussed,
I am off to pes
ter a new set of
citizens in other
parts of the
country or
world.
At the moment
I am shin deep
in travel folders
and brochures
trying to plan a
trip for later in
the summer. We
Henry McLemore.
are minaing 01 going w numi* uj
air and, at the risk of giving free
advertising. I must say that the
magazine Town and Country has
been of tremendous help. Not only
does the magazine add tone to the
living room, but it is the perfect
size in which to hide the comic
books I read by the hundreds.
Student of Gracious Living.
A visitor dropping in and seeing
me poring over T. and C. could
not fail to be impressed and believe
that I was a student of Gracious
Living, the Arts and High Society.
The visitor would never guess that
I was in the midst of the adven
tures of some comic book hero.
On page 43 of the current T. and
C. is an -article titled “Practical
Advice for the Wayfarer.” It all
interested me but one paragraph
in particular sticks in my mind.
This paragraph deals with whatj
clothes a man should take with'
him on a flight to Europe. As
you know, a passenger is limited to
66 pounds of luggage which makes
for careful packing.
One smart department store,
which certainly should wear a Phi
Beta Kappa key on its chest, has
come up with a coat called the1
"Trans-Atlantic Flier.” Get a load
of the description of it:
“It is the first article of clothing
ever created specifically for the in
ternational air voyager. ... The
thick, fluffy camels’-haircolored lin
ing detaches to become a strikingly
tailored bathrobe. There are cav
ernous bellows pockets in this robe
large enough to carry your razor
and all your toilet articles: the coat
itself has six deep pockets any of
which can hold your passport, half
a dozen letters, a pint of whisky,
and your miscellaneous papers. It
won't wrinkle or crush. . . . Sleep in
it. . . . Each pocket has a button
down flap, too, as theft insur
ance. . . .”
Bound to M mg aener.
This is bound to be a big seller,’
but-why doesn't the smarty-pants
department store go a bit further
and create a whole series of two
in-one, three-in-one, or four-in
one articles? The traveler is ad
vised to take his own soap and his
own cflffee to Europe. Why not a
cake of soap that is coffee flavored?
A man could wash his face and:
hands- and then boil the lather for
his morning cup of coffee.
It is suggested that the traveler
take a cap, a hat, and folding bed
room slippeis. Why not take two
caps so cut that they could be worn
as bedroom slippers once the sun
goes down?
The trans-Atlantic voyager is
advised to take a cashmere sweater (
and two soft dinner jacket shirts, i
FENCES
For further information call
EASTERN HOME
IMPROVEMENT CO.
2533 Blodensburg Rd. N.E
tl. 2743
* All those in favor of rich,
creamy cheese sauce will say
"A-h-hf-when they taste Dutch
Mill's new "Speed Sauce.” Just
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heat in double boiler until
soft. Beat 2 minutes. If yon
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milk. It's the fine$t cheese
sauce you ever tasted!
I
at your SAFEWAY STORE
It seems to me that a white cash
mere sweater with detachable col
lar that could double in brass as
a dinner jacket shirt could easily
be devised.
Fifteen handkerchiefs is said to
be the minimum number on which
a man can comfortably blow his
nose while making the grand touii
Silly! I say, get on the plane wear^
lng a billowing shroud made of
handkerchiefs sewn together and
rip one off when you get the sniffles.
You’ll get to look less ghost-like as
the trip progresses.
(Distributed by McNausht Syndicate, Inc.)
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