Two Presidents

"You are unable to rise above your personal ambitions and dictator complex."--Homer Martin to John Lewis.

"It should be clear that the U. A. W. is not severing its relations with the C. I. O., but that Homer Martin is deserting both the U. A. W. and the C. I. O."--Philip Murray & Sidney Hillman (for Mr. Lewis) to Homer Martin.

This exchange last week officially signaled the rise of dual unions in the automobile, aircraft and related supply industries. Each continued to call itself United Automobile Workers of America. One is a C. I. O. union, to whose acting presidency homely, placid Roland Jay Thomas of Detroit was elected last week by his suspended colleagues on the old union's executive board. Homer Martin's U. A. W. remained for the present independent of both C. I. O. and A. F. of L. (like David Dubinsky's International Ladies' Garment Workers). In this circumstance lies a pretty problem for automakers who originally capitulated more to John Lewis and C. I. O. than to Homer Martin and U. A. W., and who now must make their choice between the rivals.

Relative strength of the two unions cannot be accurately known before U. A. W. locals choose between two rival conventions called for next month, C. I. O.'s March 27 in Cleveland, Homer Martin's March 4 in Detroit. Presidents Thomas and Martin last week moved to protect themselves against each other's legal maneuvering by hiring high-powered lawyers. Mr. Martin chose Frank P. Walsh of Manhattan and Frank Mulholland of Toledo. Mr. Thomas chose Charles P. Taft of Cincinnati, counsel for years to Sidney Hillman's embattled Amalgamated Clothing Workers, son of the late Chief Justice, brother of Ohio's new conservative Senator.

By choosing Roland Thomas to front for their union, C. I. O.'s adherents played a smart trick on Homer Martin. When he began to lose his grip on the executive board last year, one member who stood by him was Mr. Thomas. Only when Murray & Hillman intervened did Martin and Thomas finally part company. Thus Homer Martin had to eat many an old word last week when he accused his onetime friend of sabotaging the union.

A former electrical engineer who turned auto worker in 1923, Roland Thomas came up out of Chrysler plants where he organized one of U. A. W.'s original locals. His personal popularity will be an asset in the struggle between the factions for rank & file support. But the real bosses of C. I. O.'s union continue to be Messrs. Lewis, Murray & Hillman.

To celebrate their new opposition, Presidents Thomas & Martin last week debated whether Harry Bennett, personnel director of Ford Motor Co., contributed to U. A. W.'s split by dangling a phoney agreement in front of Homer Martin. Said Mr. Bennett, at last speaking for himself:

"I offered to give Martin a list of all the employes of the Ford company and told him to go ahead and organize them if he could. I told him I didn't think he could make it, but he was welcome to try."

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