Strong Arm

The big news of the week--and one of the biggest pieces of news in all 1943--was that President Roosevelt got tough. At last he stood fast against Labor's demands; at last he solidly backed up the anti-inflation Little Steel formula, held to so stubbornly for months by Stabilizer Fred Vinson and the War Labor Board.

The President, in seizing the $28,000,000,000 railroad industry, smashed back the heaviest assault made on the Little Steel formula since John Lewis' attack. By doing so he served sharp notice on the millions in union labor's legions that the formula must hold; that the concessions to John Lewis were the last sizable concessions that would be made. This was direct notice to the C.I.O. and Phil Murray's 600,000 Steel Workers--of whom 170,000 were out on strike this week, pledge or no pledge.

The new Roosevelt technique worked perfectly: on promise of all reasonable concessions--but nothing beyond the Little Steel formula--Phil Murray called the Steel Workers back to the mills.

He had given the 20 railroad unions the same terms--anything within reason, but the line must be held. He had warned the 1,450,000 railroaders to call off their strike by Dec. 27. Three of the 20 unions balked. Said Mr. Roosevelt: "I cannot wait until the last moment." That night reporters stayed on & on at the White House, for Secretary Stephen Early had refused to "put the lid on." At 7 p.m., in a 1,100-word statement, the President gave Secretary of War Stimson complete power over every one of the 233,670 miles of railroad track in the U.S., from the one-mile-long Valley Railroad in McKean County, Penna. to the $2,000,000,000 Pennsy (24,928 miles). The Secretary may even take over subways, tunnels and streetcar lines, if need be.

Behind the velvet-glove technique of offering concessions, within the formula, was Franklin Roosevelt's iron hand--and the iron hand was the news.

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