Evening star., 1922-06-27
j. S. INTERVENTION
IN COAL STRIKE
DRAWING NEARER
President Will Insist Govern
ment Have Part if Par
ley Is Called.
PLAN DRASTIC MOVE
! IF CONFERENCE FAILS
Union Policy Altered, Says Lewis,
: Insisting That New Scale
! Be Set Up.

Indications were given at the White
House today that the government soon
would be able to make an announce
ment in the coal strike situation and
that the step contemplated was a
Love to bring the Leaders of the
Inion miners and representative oper-
sjors together for a discussion of
wage differences.
President Harding was represented
as feeling strongly that the govern
ment would sponsor no conference on
The coal situation, however. at which
the government itself was not repre-
Sented. either in an official or un-
official manner.
Although not revealing the nature
Of the governments plan, it was de-
clared at the White House that if the
contemplated plan for adjudicating
differences by persuasion and volun-
1ary adjustments should fail, the gov
ornment would look toward more
pointed and drastic action.
Plans for Conference.
In other quarters today it was said
N" government was already formu-
lating plans for national conference
of operators and miners to gather
ard discuss the issues at stake in the
present mine controversy.
With the United Mine Workers.
through its president, John L. Lewis,
presenting an unbroken front and de-
clared to be growing in strength daily
by additions to the ranks of the strik-
ing miners, government leaders to-
day could see no alternative than
calling of a conference if a coal famine
this fall and winter was to be averted.
Although approximately 100000 tons
of coal is being mined Iekly. chiefly
in the New River and Pocahontas
fields of West Virginia, government
officials declared the coal reserve is
rapidly being depleted, and added that
public utilities and industries not well
stocked with coal will face, crisis
unless some means of ending the
strike are set in motion within
month. ItSwas estimated today that
the available coal stocks above ground
have shrunk to approximately 10000
900 tons, with about half of this
amount in the hands of the railroads.
Opposes District Parleys.
Mr.. Lewis yesterday expressed him
self as absolutely opposed to district
conferences in the several mining dis
tricts. He added that the strike situa-
1fon was unchanged.
An attempt to secure general con-
ference of minersSand operators has
not been made in the present strike.
although Secretary Davis was in fire.
quenr conference last March with
both operators and miners. Refusal of
the operators last March to meet in
the wage scale negotiations of the
central competitive field was one of
the controversial points in the strike
The reason for Withholding the def
mite program for settlement of the
difficulty, it was explained at the
White House, was said to be the same
which prompted the secrecy surround
ing delicate negotiations of the re-
cent arms conference. There had
been some complaint from the public
and even on the floor of the Senate
concerning the closed doors on deli
cate subjects at the arms conference,
but even in open diplomacy, it was
pointed out. there were certain ex-
igencies which practically demanded
secrecy.
Concerning the recent "atrocity" at
Herrin. ILL.,, officials at the White
House hesitated to comment, but stat
cu Jnat there was never any comment
to make on murder except that mur-
der was murder wherever committed
and by whom And there could never
be any extenuation of it.
Little progress toward settlement
of the strike resulted yesterday, al
though conferences continued, with
Secretary Davis and President John
J.. Lewis of the mine workers being
closeted with President Harding for
some time at the White House.
Mr.. Lewis announced following the
conference that the union policy still
was unaltered and unyielding in it's
insistence that new wage scale
must be set up for the strike-ridden
mining districts by national or semi
national conferences with operators.
Oficially no statement was forth
coming, though Secretary Hoover was
also called to the White House for a
word with the President about the
situation Immediately after Mr.. Lew
is left.
I'VE talked over the general prob
lens of the bituminous industry and
the STRIKE" Mr.. Lewis declared on
leaving the White House, Its over
development and intermittency, and
projects for it's stabilization. The
IT explained to the President the
futility of attempting settlements in
individual mining districts. There are
no groups of operators willing to
hazard their competitive relationship
with other producing sections by fix
what their competitors are going to
pay The country will be facing a
serious shortage of coal within a
few weeks and if the strike contin-
ues the. railroads will be unable to
transport enough to take care of IN