The American Labour War The peculiarities of American procedure are
strikingly displayed in the conflict between the American Federation of Labour and Mr. John L. Lewis, head of the drive towards industrial unionism. Mr. Lewis, instituting a radical departure from the craft-union system of the Federation, founded a Committee for Industrial Organ- isation, which the leaders of the A.F. of L. treated as a rebel minority. They ordered . it to dissolve, under penalty of expulsion for all its members. The C.I.O. ignored the order and now comprises a dozen unions with an estimated membership of 1,250,000. Mr. Lewis and his associates have this week been on trial before the Council of the A.F. of L. charged with " open, flagrant, and defiant insurrection," and their " suspension " from the Federation has been decreed. Mr. Lewis, it is plain, will lead a new and vigorous unionism, against which the vast resources of the federated employers will be mobilised, particularly the Steel Institute and the automobile companies. There is no reason to expect that this important development will materially affect the vote of organised Labour in the presidential election. The A.F. of L., -which theoretically does not give its support to either political party, is actually for Mr. Roosevelt, and so emphatically is Mr. Lewis. But if a great schism should occur the emergence of a political Labour Party can be merely a matter of time.
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