The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-07-15
EXECUTIVE Is FIRM
Gives Operators and Min.
ers Until Monday to
Accept Proposal.
CABINET HEARS
UNIONS TERMS
Workers Policy Body to
Decide Today on Plea
For Arbitration.


mined to bring about immediate re-
sumption Of full coal production
that he will not hesitate. II neces-
sary, to take over the coal mines
and operate them. even at the risk
Of impeachment for acting without
express constitutional authority.
This was officially disclosed at
the White House yesterday on the
eve Of the receipt OF the formula
tion Of the replies the operators and
the miners are TO make to his com
mission plan Of settlement Of the
coal mine strike.
Both the operators and the miners
are highly critical of the Presidents
proposal and unequivocal accep-
tance of the plan appears to be in
doubt
Mr.. Harding. however, is troubled
with no uncertainty of the course
he intends TO pursue to prevent a
coal famine. He will give the op-
orators and the miners until Mon
day to accept a plan providing for
the immediate return Of the strikers
to the mines with arbitration OF the
wage dispute.
Would Risk ImpesehmenG
II the parties TO the controversy
fail TO comply with the demands Of
the President. he will have recourse
to the power Of the government TO
reopen the closed mines. Mr.. Hard
ing believes that the executive
possesses the power to take over
fhe mines and proceed to operate
them in any well-established emer-
gency such as the existing situation
which threatens TO result in wide
spread suffering from lack of fuel.
Mr.. Harding is of the opinion that
the power Of the executive is almost
limitless when il comes to taking
such action in an emergency as is
clearly necessary for the protection
of the lives and health Of the peo-
pie. II there is any question of the
authority OF the executive to take
such action as selling the coal
mines and operating them. the only
punishment for exceeding authority
would be impeachment and the
President indicated he would not
hesitate to run the risk Of impeach-
ment in the service Of the people.
Recourse to Courts
The Presiden has been advised,
however, by some of the leaders IN
Congress against proceeding to take
over the mines and operate them.
without enabling legislation such as
that which was passed TO authorize
President Wilson to assume control
of railroads during the war
1t has been pointed out that IL
the President should act without
authority of law, mine owners
would be likely to procure injunc-
tions, whereupon the President
could not proceed to operate the
mines, without defying the judi
ciary. Mr.. Harding has been
assured by the leaders at the
Capitol that the necessary legisla-
tion could be passed in a few days
| the House being summoned back to
Washington for the purpose.
John L. Lewis, president OF the
United Mine Workers, in a confer
ence yesterday with Secretary Of
Labor Davis, asked the Secretary
to outline more clearly the gov
eEnDnenl proposal lot arDltrdtlOn
In the coal controversy.
Goes Before Cabinet.
Secretary Davis took the request
Of the head OF the mine workers
10 the Cabinet meeting. with at
least two other counter proposals
suggested by Lewis, while the latter
and Phillip Murray. vice preside
OF the mine workers organizati
| went into conference with conci
tors OF the Department of Ia
Definite announcement Of tn
titude of the unions will be
officially today when the
committee. composed of mon
two hundred and twenty
union heads, will meet inI
| ington to pass on the an
| the United Mine Workers
proposal of the government
| bitration. The committee re
| ing the soft coal operate
meet here at O'Clock tot
night to decide on the attit
the operators toward the SO
ment proposal.
The union heads were unders
yesterday to have demanded throls
| Secretary Davis that assurance
given that nonunion fields be in1
cluded In the government arbitra-
tion proposal. Il was also under
stood the unions asked that the
arbitration negotiations will not
include discussion Of working con-