World: Honorable Mr. Chairman

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Walesa's control over fellow workers was exhibited from the start. At a mass meeting early in the strike, a man rose and identified himself as a member of the local writers' union and pleaded for understanding for Communist Party Chief Edward Gierek. When a bona fide member of the writers' union and one shipyard worker denounced the man as an impostor and provocateur, a group of workers backed him against the wall. Walesa grabbed the microphone and warned, "If he is hit or even touched, I will give up the leadership." He then called for 20 workers to escort the man from the hall and admonished, "Don't whistle, don't shout. Show your dignity." The man was ushered from the suddenly silent hall with out further incident.

Last week, during a subcommittee-level bargaining session, Walesa strolled to the gate to bring those outside up to date. Surrounded by bodyguards and a gaggle of photographers and television cameramen, he looked like a U.S. political candidate on the prowl for votes. "Ladies and gentlemen, Lech Walesa," a man with a microphone announced, and the crowd let go with a lusty "hip, hip, hurrah!" Walesa told the crowd that although the government was trying to undermine the workers, "your strike committee is participating fully in your strike, and in your effort for a victory."

Walesa has also mastered the art of the political riposte. Asked if the workers' demands might not have left the government dangerously little room for maneuver, he told TIME's Barry Kalb: "We want a strong Poland so that everyone can smile. Is the government supposed to serve the people, or are the people supposed to serve the government? Who leads whom?" Do the workers, then, want to become the leaders, he was asked. "No, no. The government has to govern, of course. We don't want to become the government."

Asked how the Polish economy could afford to lower meat prices as the workers have asked, he made it clear that his own priorities are more political than economic. "We are aware of what we are demanding," he said. "We don't want to drown Poland. We want to rebuild her. I am willing to work for a plate of soup a day, but I must feel that I have the right to say something about the situation."