New-York tribune., 1922-07-27
Call Governors
TO Open Mines,
Plea to Harding
McCray. Indiana Executive,
Seeks Four-Ssate Confer
encc in Washington to
Insure Supply of Coal
Calls Lewis Talk Disloval
OgIe Also Terms 1t s'Out-
rageous and InsoIent
Defiance of Authority

INDIANAPOLIS, July 2s.-Governor
NeCray sent telegram TO President
Harding to-day suggesting That he call
together the Governors of the states
where the mine strike has paralvzed
industry and with them formulate a
plan 60 resume production regardless
Of the miners and the operators. The
states involved would be Pennsylvauia.
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
The Governor also called attention IN
the statement Of John Z. Lewis. presi-
dent of the United Mine Workers of
America, issued in New York on Tues
day, and declared that the utterances
Of the union official were disloyal and
called for immediate action by the Fed
eYal government. Lewis's statement.
to which the Governor takes such
strong exception, was:
mot single miner has returned to
work through the length and breadth
Of the land, and it must now be OBJ
rious that the American miner will not
be driven back to work by any fanfare
Of trumpets or vain military display.
The assembling and parading of en-
gines Of war to awe American citizens
who are merely exercising their con-
stitutional rights to cease work would
Be national farce if it did not pos
sess the clements of tragedy"
Defiant and Disloyar'
Declaring that this statement is ida
fsnt and disloyal," the Governor tells
the President that Indiana stands be-
hind you in whatever course YOU NAV
elect to take TO settle the strike and
bring about resumption of coal pro-
duetion."
Governor McCray announced tonight
that the State of Indiana was ar
ranging to take over and operate "suf-
fcient mines to supply Indiana's ne
cessities." The announcement was
made in a telegram to John Kessler,
president of the Indiana miners, who
Is in Philadelphia in an endeavor to
arrange a settlement Of the mine
strike.
President Hessler had wired Gov
ernor McCray that the union officials
we're contemplating call for an inter
state conference and urged him to use
his influence with the Indiana oper-
ators. The Governor promised his "un-
qualified support to the movement" and
added that "in the mean time my prepa-
rations for coal production will pro-
ceed as rapidly as possible"
The Governor, in taking the step,
{ advised Mr.. Hessler that he had re-
ceived Official word from Washington
this afternoon that in the present sit
aation Indiana utilities cannot be sup
Piled even with priorities from outside
she state and coal for Indiana people
Is s1uarely up to the Governor
AN. Ogle, president of the National
Coal Association, also issued state
& melt to-day regarding the remarks
credited to Mr.. Lewis in New York
City. The mine workers president,
Mr. Ogle said, has forced an issue far
above the question of wages to miners
and price of coal to the publican
issue now OF the preservation of gov
sernment. Wage agreements would have
been reached in the several states and
districts many weeks ago but for Mr.
sLewis's refusal to accept any other
authority than that which he, himself,
dictated, Mr.. Ogle asserted.