It was hardly to be expected that John L. Lewis' modest personality would be subdued by his steel poll success; but yesterday he overstepped not only the bounds of prudence but also of political common sense. For the C.I.O. chief was not satisfied with merely deploring the action of the judge who has forced labor workers Hapgood and aids to "languish" behind cold steel. Lewis stated that he blamed the State and all the people in the State for allowing such a thing to happen. In fact, he expressed the hope that no person connected with or interested in the C.I.O. would spend any money vacationing in Maine.

Such a statement shows either that John L. believes he is now in a position in which he does not need any New England friends or that he is so drunk with power that he does not care about political slip-ups. In either case, it will not be suprising if the C.I.O. finds a little hard sledding from now on in organizing the State of Maine, as well as the other New England states which look with friendly eyes toward the Pine Treemen.