The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-09
NO ]. s. TROOPS
 IN COAL STRIKE,
 GOVERNMENT SAYS
New Mexico Governors Re- quest for Federal Soldiers Meets With a Firm,
 Flat Refusal
By Atsociated Press

Washington. April S.-The admin istration's determination not to use federal troops in the coal strike un- less all state agencies fail in pre- serving order was set forth clearly today after conference betwen President Harding and Secretary Weeks. request from the governor of New Mexico was flatly denied. The decision left the House Labor com. mittee as the only federal agency at tempting to deal with the strike ana although it continued it's hearings durin& the day theSe was no indica- ltion lAat the mass of testimony taken would lead Co action in the near fu- ture fodays contribution to the committee record was statement by Phil H. Penna, a former miners union official and now an operator, blaming the present crisis on failure of the men to keep their contracts.
 As a public announcement of the administration hands-off policy SC far as use~ of federal troops Is con cerned, Secretary Weeks made public after his visit to- the White House telegram to Governor Meecham ot New Mexico replying to an appeal 
 his state.
 Unless disorder develops to a point where state authorities are unable to preserve orderp said the message, federal troops cannot be used in connection with the coal strike"
 Watching Developments
 Despite this attitude, however, it is known that the administration is watching developments in the strike closely and will not be unprepared should situation arise which In the Presidents opinion warrants war de- partment interference. The depart ment of justice also is keeping ad vised of conditions although so far. it.. too. has stood by it's announced pur- pose of non n-intervention.
 The prediction that the strike soon would collapse was made by Mir. Penna who said the rank and file of the union would not long continue to support their leaders under present conditions. He asserted that union officials had pursued a course which had made the contract with the union "valueless."
 once president of the United Mine Workers of America. and now secre- tary of the Indiana Coal Operators association Mir. Penna told the com mittee he had seen both sides of the picture. The union in former days, he said, kept their word but under present leadership they did not hesi- tate To break contracts. In the bitu- minous fields the strike came. he as- serted mot because the operators would not meet the miners but be- cause some of the operators would not meet the union in the group the union demanded.
 Cities TOO strikes.
 It was hopeless, Mir. Penna told Chairman Nolan when the latter em- phasized the desire to get a strike settlement to try out again the sys- tenn of interstate negotiations in the central competitive field which have been made the basis of former na- tonal wage agreements, so long as Ohio and Pittsburg operators stay out. He buttressed his accusa tion that the miners union no longer kept its contracts by introducing the record "of TOO strikes in Indiana since 192O' during the life of the last wage contract.
 With present day officers of the United Mine Workers in the room MT Penna stood on his feet and charged that the union was now peryaded with spirit to hell with the oper- ators' which didn't exist in my time.' The strikes came, he said, because the union officers can't control their men and am charitable when put that construction upon their situa- tion."
 I've never advocated the reduc- ton of wages but once in my life," he declared. but that time is- new"
 Representative London. socialist, New York. asked MT Penna what should be done to g0. regular instead of intermittent employment for miners. and Mir. Penna, first express ing his opinion that the industry was mot so seasonal as some oth- CTS" declared:
 Wages Must Come Down.
 "The only way I know is to get the wages down to the level and the conditions as disagreeable in our in 6ustry as they are in others, because as the situation is now. man who once can get into the mines never leaves them"
 Tn the cross examination. Mr. Pcnna told Chairman Nolan and
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