LABOR: John Lewis on the March

In 1935, John L. Lewis marched his United Mine Workers out of A.F. of L. Last week he marched them out of C.I.O. Henceforth John Lewis and his union walk alone.

Exactly what his goal is this time, only John Lewis knows. He has his hard core of half a million miners, whom he rules like a feudal overlord. He has his daughter Kathryn’s amazing District 50, which claims the right to organize almost all U.S. workers who are not yet unionized. And he can count on his brother A.D. (“Denny”) Lewis, head of the C.I.O. construction workers.

Around this family hierarchy, perhaps he hopes to build a new union empire which may some day grow bigger than either C.I.O. or A.F. of L. But bitter, brooding John Lewis broke two years ago with the New Deal and, in last year’s captive coalmine strike, with public opinion. Perhaps this time the old tragedian of U.S. labor is marching down the lonesome road.