BERT (glancing at GEORGE). I guess there'll be other union men in the
trenches besides me.

ASHER. Soldier or no soldier, I'll never employ any man again who's
joined a union.

GEORGE (perturbed). Hold on, dad!

ASHER. I mean what I say, I don't care who he is.

BERT (who retains his self-possession). Excuse me, Mr. Pindar, but I'd
like to ask you a question--I've heard the men talking about this in the
shops. You don't like it if we go off to--fight, but if we join the
union you fire us, no matter how short-handed you are.

ASHER. It's a principle with me,--I won't have any outside agency
dictating to me.

BERT. But if it came to recognizing the union, or shutting down?

ASHER. I'd shut down tomorrow.

(GEORGE, who sees the point, makes a gesture as if about to
interrupt.)

BERT. That's what I'm getting at, Mr. Pindar. You say you'd shut down
for a principle, whether the government gets the machines or not. And
the men say they'd join the union for a principle, whether the government
gets the machines or not. It looks to me as if both was hindering the