WLB man says he represents union, not U.S.
Testimony alarms ‘public members’
By Fred W. Perkins, Pittsburgh Press staff writer
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Race issue is cause –
Philadelphia car and bus union strikes
CIO ‘illnesses’ make thousands walk
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Stilwell proposed as full general
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Stokes: Dewey campaign technique emphasizes post-war job
GOP candidate hopes to counteract stressing of Commander-in-Chief angle by Roosevelt
By Thomas L. Stokes, Scripps-Howard staff writer
With Governor Dewey’s party –
Governor Thomas E. Dewey has contrived an interesting campaign technique to meet the war emphasis of the Democrats.
He is trying it out on his current Midwestern trip, which takes him to St. Louis tomorrow for a conference with the 25 other Republican governors, after his stop today at Springfield, Illinois.
To counteract the war psychology being exploited by the Democrats, symbolized by President Roosevelt’s assumption of the Commander-in-Chief role, Governor Dewey points out that the job of the next President, which does not begin until next Jan. 20, will be largely a peacetime job. This argument is given added effect by the victorious push of U.S. forces in the Pacific and in France, and by the surge of the Russians toward Germany.
Post-war employment theme
We are making “gratifying progress” in the fighting, he says, to point this up. Then he mentions the big job after the war, which is to provide employment for everybody. Not enough attention, he holds, is being given to this, to the overhanging task of reconverting war industry to peace industry. He did not mention it, but the recent flurry of activity in Washington to hurry through needed legislation for reconversion would indicate the administration feels the same way.
Pittsburgh, where the smoke of war industry almost shuts out the sun, offered Governor Dewey an opportunity to talk about reconversion. People toiling in that area, which has known the gnawing pinch of depression, could appreciate his statement that “it may not be long before the most vital thing that faces every American is his opportunity to work, either for himself or for someone else.”
Vulnerable on domestic side
The Dewey campaign technique revealed on this trip seems aimed at blocking off the Democratic war emphasis so as to open up for discussion the field of domestic economy and management on which the Roosevelt administration is admittedly vulnerable.
It is obvious, from Mr. Dewey’s numerous conferences with various Pittsburgh groups, that Republicans will try to make a virtual crusade out of the CIO’s drive for political power within the Democratic Party.
Governor Dewey drew a rather frightening picture of this political movement in a closed session with 100 business and financial leaders representing steel, coal, aluminum, electrical equipment and banks.
Increasing debt specter
According to one man present, the Republican candidate pictured the CIO as planning to take over war plants after the war and gaining thereby such control that President Roosevelt, if reelected, would virtually be their servant. This one man, at least, was horrified. The Governor also held up the specter of increasing debt under continued New Deal management, with a consequent increase in taxes.
How far the Republicans still have to go in trying to wean away labor votes from the administration was indicated by the caliber of the labor representatives who met the Governor in his general labor conference. They were mostly smaller fry, largely AFL with only three or four minor CIO representatives. Governor Dewey held a separate meeting with United Mine Workers representatives, John L. Lewis’ union, which is a powerful political factor in Pennsylvania.
District Republicans given uplift in spirit by visit with Dewey
GOP presidential candidate, pleased with initial test, hopes to attend fall rally here
By Kermit McFarland
Governor Thomas E. Dewey, in an arduous and exacting day here yesterday, wetted his finger in the political winds in this Roosevelt region, was obviously pleased with the test, and went away with apparent, although unannounced, expectations of coming back in the fall for a big rally.
Under the usual optimism which radiates from any political exhibition of that sort, there was evidence of a real uplift of spirit among the Republicans in these parts whose arches have been fallen for the last dozen years.
Although he seemed exhausted by the effort of shaking hands with all of them, Governor Dewey was openly elated by the appearance of 5,000 pushing men and women who stormed the William Penn Hotel’s 17th floor ballroom to “get a gander” at the new Republican hope.
13 hours of conference
Later, he motored to the Pennsylvania Station through long lines of crowds, bigger and noisier than those he experienced when he followed the same parade route on his arrival yesterday morning.
Between these two parades – 13 hours apart – the New York Governor, preserving his unruffled appearance despite the collar-wilting heat and the exertion of hotfooting it in quick succession from one event to another, had these high spots to record in the diary of his first campaign day as a presidential nominee:
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He got a rousing sendoff from an overflow crowd of business and industrial leaders representing the biggest corporate establishments in the Pittsburgh District – a notable absentee being Ernest T. Weir, steel magnate who has taken a leading role in previous Republican presidential campaigns.
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He drew bigger turnouts for his informal appearances than his backers had anticipated.
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He was assured by state Republicans, chiefly Governor Edward Martin, his principal host, that the trend in this election year is “definitely toward Dewey.”
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He won an endorsement from Thomas Mallon, AFL regional director, who headed a delegation of 50 union officials, most of them AFL, who went to see him and, according to Mr. Mallon, exacted a promise that if Mr. Dewey is elected President, the Secretary of Labor will be a union man.
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He held a conference with the district leaders of the United Mine Workers union, which was generally accepted as a mere formality prior to an endorsement of his candidacy by this non-CIO, non-AFL union.
The mine union conference, in some respects, was unique. It was the last of the series. It attracted UMW officials from all over the state, here on orders of UMW Vice President John O’Leary – which would seem to mean orders of John L. Lewis.
At the end of the conference, the union’s spokesmen were at pains to say they made no commitments to Mr. Dewey and that he made no promises to them. They admitted they had no instructions except to attend. Unlike others who came to see Mr. Dewey, they methodically shied away from cameras and reporters, flatly bolting all pictorial efforts.
Dewey impression good
“We had a pleasant conference,” said Mr. O’Leary.
Mr. Dewey said nothing. Michael J. Kosik, president of District 1 in the anthracite region, gingerly expressed the opinion that Mr. Dewey had “made a good impression.”
A notable absentee from this meeting was Patrick T. Fagan, for many years a spokesman at affairs like this until he was bounced from his District 5 presidency by John L. Lewis in Mr. Lewis’ split with CIO President Philip Murray.
Present, however, were John P. Busarello (Mr. Fagan’s successor in District 5), William Hynes of Uniontown (president of District 4), James Marks of Clearfield (president of District 2), John Ghizzoni of Homer City, John Dresmich of Cecil, Joseph Yablonski of California, Frank Sabolski of Mariana, International Representative F. P. Hannaway and Mr. O’Leary, along with other local officials of the union and two district presidents from the anthracite section.
Mr. Dewey’s smooth day was wrinkled only once. He was sent a sharply critical telegram by three officials of the CIO United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers – Westinghouse chapter.
The telegram said this union’s leaders, headed by President Michael Fitzpatrick, had been rejected in their efforts to gain an invitation to Mr. Dewey’s labor conference. This they blamed on David Williams, deputy in the State Labor and Industry Department and former AFL official.
Five CIO men attend conference
The telegram charged that Mr. Williams had said he “didn’t want anyone present who might ask ‘embarrassing questions.’”
Five CIO representatives, four from a McKeesport local and Sam Amelio of the CIO United Shoe Workers, did attend the conference.
The telegram went on to chide Mr. Dewey because a subordinate in the New York administration, according to the Electrical Workers, was opposed to supplementing state unemployment compensation systems with federal funds.
The wire demanded:
Is this your position on reconversion? Are you against establishing guarantees for millions of workers who otherwise may face loss of entire income in the post-war period?
Before he departed, Mr. Dewey issued a brief statement: “I am very much pleased with the optimism and confidence shown at the meetings today.”
Congressman present
In addition to meeting labor, business and farm groups, and World War I veterans, Mr. Dewey held several consultations with local and state political leaders and candidates, and one with Walter Hallanan, National Committeeman from West Virginia.
He was accompanied to a meeting of 25 of the 33 Republican nominees for Congress in Pennsylvania by Congressman Charles A. Halleck of Indiana, chairman of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee.
Mr. Halleck said:
This sort of meeting makes it clear that the Governor means to work with Congress. We exchanged problems and agreed to carry on the campaign as a cooperative effort. If Mr. Dewey is elected, we will not have the backbiting which now goes on between Congress and the White House in wartime.
The toughest ordeal of the day for the Governor and Mrs. Dewey, obviously, was the public reception at which they shook hands, within two hours, with 5,000 persons. Governor and Mrs. Martin stood in line with the Deweys and shook hand for hand with them.
Police with him
By actual count, Mr. Dewey was shaking 38 hands a minute.
To most of them, the Governor said, “How do you do?” But to some, he had thanks for their good wishes and occasionally got in an extra remark. Standing beside him throughout this affair was Sgt. Alvin Johnson of the New York State Police, whose promotion from corporal became effective last midnight. Opposite the Governor stood NYPD Detective Frank Hnide.
Sgt. Johnson gave every handshaker a visual “frisking” as he approached Mr. Dewey, and Detective Hnide, aided by a couple of Pittsburgh police, saw to it that no handshaker tarried overlong.
Birthday for Mrs. Martin
The crowd was shuttled to the ballroom from the downstairs lobby in relays, and departed between a row of chairs leading to a rear door.
At the dinner given in Mr. Dewey’s honor by Republican State Chairman M. Harvey Taylor, a surprise feature was a huge birthday cake presented to Mrs. Martin.
Smith nominated
Detroit, Michigan –
The America First Party, convening at its initial state convention, last night nominated Gerald L. K. Smith of Detroit as its presidential candidate, and selected as his running mate Ohio Governor John W. Bricker, who was also nominated by the Republicans as running mate of Governor Thomas E. Dewey.
Dewey calls Smith America’s Hitler
Charges isolationist with Bricker smear
Springfield, Illinois (UP) –
Governor Thomas E. Dewey opened his Republican presidential campaign in Illinois today with a charge that Gerald L. K. Smith, America First leader, was a race-baiting rabble-rouser comparable to Adolf Hitler and was seeking to “smear” Ohio Governor John W. Bricker, the GOP vice-presidential candidate.
Governor Dewey assailed Mr. Smith here in a brief comment on the announcement that the latter’s America First Party had nominated Smith for President and Governor Bricker for Vice President. The report got Governor Dewey’s earliest attention when he arrived here before noon on a campaign organization swing which will lead him to St. Louis tomorrow.
Columbus, Ohio (UP) –
Governor John W. Bricker, Republican vice-presidential nominee, said the action of the America First group in nominating him as the running mate to Gerald L. K. Smith in Detroit yesterday was “ridiculous.”
“I shall not permit my name to be used in any such connection,” Governor Bricker said, although he did not specify how he would prevent the America First group from using his name.
Governor and Mrs. Bricker left today for St. Louis to attend the GOP Governors’ Conference tomorrow and Thursday.
Simms: Robot attacks will influence peace actions
Weapon capable of infinite improvement
By William Philip Simms, Scripps-Howard staff writer
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Rocket fighter used by Germans
New plane attacks U.S. bombers
By Walter Cronkite, United Press staff writer
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‘To hell with objectives – keep going!’ Yanks ordered
That’s what commander tells troops reporting they have carried out assignment
By Gault MacGowan, United Press staff writer
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4th wife, 4th child –
Daughter is born to Oona Chaplin
Charlie’s wife, baby ‘doing well’
By Frederick C. Othman, United Press staff writer
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Congress ends 5-week recess
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Three more ward stores hit by strikes
WLB promises to take action in case
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Editorial: Dewey hit bigotry
Soon or late, every presidential candidate runs into the issue of racial and religious bigotry. Most of them try to duck it. A few, of better stuff, hit it head on. Governor Thomas E. Dewey is that kind. He thinks intolerance is too high a price to pay for votes.
When Rep. Ham Fish (R-NY) was quoted as attacking the Jews for their alleged partisan support of FDR and the New Deal, Mr. Dewey lashed out with this:
Two years ago, I publicly opposed the nomination and election of Congressman Fish. The statements attributed to him confirm my judgment expressed at that time. Anyone who injects a racial or religious issue into a political campaign is guilty of a disgraceful, un-American act. I have always fought that kind of thing all my life and always will, regardless of partisan considerations. I have never accepted support of any such individual and I never shall.
Every race and religion has its bigots. So do both political parties. Therefore, it is important that parties and candidates come clean on this issue. The Republican platform says: “We unreservedly condemn the injection into American life of appeals to racial or religious prejudice.” Candidate Dewey has shown where he stands.
Unfortunately, the Democratic enemies of intolerance were unable to write a similar plank into their platform. Whether it was left out of the draft the President sent to the Democratic Convention, we do not know. But, now that Mr. Dewey and the Republicans have led the way, Candidate Roosevelt should have enough courage to follow.
In Washington –
Federal corporations rival government itself, report says
Economy group urges prompt action to make them subject to control of Congress
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Soldier vote
Washington (UP) –
Senator Robert A. Taft (R-OH) said today that he will probably introduce this week a Soldier Voting Act amendment to relax censorship of reading matter for the Armed Forces.