PAGE SIX UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS FRIDAY, SEPT. 23, 1940 The Editorial Page- Crimes Of John L. Lewis Editor's note: Once again, strikes are the big news, and as usual, one of the central figures is the United Mine Workers' chief, John L. Lewis. The following editorial was written by James Robinson, and appeared in the July 3, 1948 Summer Session Kansan. It presents a point of view which is not often brought out. John L. Lewis is one of the most abused and disliked persons ever to appear in American public life. We have always wondered just what there is about the man to make him so universally despised. In the American tradition of free enterprise, initiative, and aggressive individualism, Mr. Lewis's equal is hard to find. He has risen to a place of great power and responsibility from a humble beginning in the coal mines. The American economy works under the assumption that each individual acts in his own best interest. When a merchant has goods to sell, it is assumed that he will sell them for as lucrative a price as is possible. Also, it is recognized that he has the right to refuse to sell if the public will not meet his price. The same holds true for the working man. He sells his labor at the best wages he can secure and he has the right to withhold that labor if his price is not met. The U.M.W. has followed the rule of the American economy. To represent them and their interests in negotiations with the mine owners, the miners have employed Mr. Lewis. Under his leadership the mine workers have risen from one of the lowest paid classes of labor to one of the highest. Even the mine owners admit that the higher standard of living among their employees is due to the better working conditions and higher wages which Mr. Lewis has forced upon them. Yet Mr. Lewis is hated and denounced by a large segment of the American press and the general public. That this hatred has been fostered by his enemies among management must be admitted. Professional politicians have co-operated with newspapers, magazines, radio and motion pictures to spread the anti-Lewis propaganda. Why all this effort to belittle a man who has committed no crime other than to do his job, and do it well? Cold War Casualty Perhaps there lies the answer. Mr. Lewis has made America a better place to live for countless thousands of men, women, and children. For that we must hate him. Government bureaus and departments often do strange and wonderful things. The miles of red tape and the thousands of forms-in-triplicate which clutter every office are undoubtedly responsible for many errors, but what is often overlooked is the power wielded by minor officials—the power to toss a communication in the wastebasket or to stamp "disapproved" on a request. Surely it ws the arbitrary prejudice of a minor official which has barred Margaret Gould, Toronto Daily Star editorial writer, from entry into the United States. The disbarment occurred some time ago when Miss Gould applied for a visa to pass through the United States on her way to Israel to cover the post-war development of the new nation. Miss Gould was born in Russia, of Jewish parentage and came to Canada when a child. At this time, the Toronto Star is not pursuing the disbursement in Washington. However, Harry C. Hindmarsh, president of the newspaper, has made this statement to Editor and Publisher magazine: "I consider Miss Gould a competent reporter and editorial writer with a breadth of vision and a facility of expression possessed by few. I know of nothing against her, although I have made the most searching inquiries. Some time ago I cross-examined her on communism. She said she was not a Communist, was never a Communist and had never belonged to a Communist organization. "When she was denied the visa, I immediately made every effort to find out what it was all about, but could get no information in Toronto. I then sent a senior man to Washington who failed to get the slightest information as to why she had been disbarred." "Since then, we have had verbal information that the disbarment has been made permanent but we still have no information whatever as to the reasons except that exclusion is decreed under a clause which applies to persons with subversive views—views which Miss Gould does not entertain." So once again it seems that some small-fry in the stale department has taken it upon himself to protect us from the "subversives." Who's going to protect us from our protectors? —J.W.S. Fair Trade: The west coast rises in wrath because defense industries may be moved to Kansas, but after all, haven't they lured all our grandparents out there? Kansas chambers of commerce are happy to receive the industries with their fat payrolls, but what about the rocket bombs that go with them in case of a small war? The army, navy and air force are now unified—somewhat in the manner of the Big Seven. "We want Caesar!" is the cry, as pedestrians dodge zooming motorbikes. Garden City, Sept. 23 - (U.P.)The Finney county sheriff was slated to be the third man in the ring here today in the second round of a legal bout which promised to result in the arrests of Garden City's three commissioners. Garden City's Commissioners Face Arrest By Sheriff Sheriff A. A. Dewey had warra Frank Schulman, Ralph Gardiner and Al Gottschalk—charging them with negligence involving the public safety. Sheriff A. A. Dewey had warrants for the commissioners—Mayor Frank Schulman, Rabb Gardin- The complaint was filed by G. F. Reed, publisher of the Great Bend Daily Telegram who, according to some observers, displayed "a vindictive but friendly" spirit when he took the action. It all began Wednesday when the publisher reportedly appeared voluntarily in police headquarters and "confessed" that he deliberately had driven his motor car through fencing used across a Garden City street under repair. University Daily Kansan Student Newspaper of the UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Member of the Kansas Press Assn, National Association for College Press Assn, and the Associated Collegiate Press. Represented by the National Ad- dicating Service, 425 Madison Ave., New York Editor in Chief... James W. Scott Managing Editor... Marvin Rowlands Asst. Managing Editor... Ruth Keller Asst. Managing Ed. John... Biley Asst. Managing Ed. Rose Olson Asst. City Editor... Norma Hunsinger Asst. City Editor... Robert Overton Asst. City Editor... Keith Leslie Feature Editor... Doris Greenbank Asst. Sports Editor... Ward Welsh Asst. Sports Editor... George Brown, Jr. Asst. Sports Editor... Jim Van Kalsenburg Telegraph editor... Kay Dyer Asst. Telegraph Ed... Darren Norris Asst. Telegraph Ed... Douglas Jones Society Editor... Alain Bright Asst. Society Ed... Frankie Waits Business Manager Lew Scotton Business Manager Lew Scotton National Adv. Manager Dean Knuth Promotion Manager Chuck Foster Circulation Agent Bonnie Gimblet Circulation Agent Bonnie Gimblet Call K.U. 251 With Your News. Widely known throughout Kansas as a "red-haired fighter," the publisher posted a $50 bond after he had been charged on two counts: (1) running over a barricade and (2) driving on a street under construction. Reed forfeited the bond by failing to appear for trial. Instead, he spent his time pouring over law books. This accounted for his discovery of an obscure statute, which specifies it is the duty of officials to place proper barricades, with daytime signs and red lights at night for all streets under repair. Read the Want Ads Daily. MAKE EVERY DAY A VACATION DAY AT YOUR COMMONWEALTH THEATRES Color Cartoon — News It's good in the same wonderful way that "Meet Me in St. Louis" was! Don't miss it.