The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-03
STRIKE EFFECTIVE IN UNION FIELDS
 NOW, LEWIS SAYS
Will Soon Reach Non- Union Territory, Mine Workers Head ASserts-600,0
 Employees to Stay Out
 Fly Associated Press

Washington, April 2.-The national coal strike is 100 per cent effective in the unionized bituminous and an- thraeite coal mines of the country, and is getting support in non-union territory, John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers, declared today on his arrival here to attend congressional hearings tomorrow.
 There are 600,000 miners ready 70 stay out of the mines indefinitely until the operators arc ready to dis cuss with us the question of new wage agreement In the central com- petltive field" MT. Lewis declared, adding that while tire union 'courted investigation for itself and the bituminous industry. it seeks no gov ernment intervention. but does ask for the support ot public opin- ion in forcing the operators to con tinue collective bargaining with miners over wages and working com ditions,'
 Discussing coal reserves and the effect Of the strike on the interests of consumers, MT. Lewis strongly ad- vaneed the opinion that "a pinch would come eariier than expected.r ' He. deEiarsd honanion mine producs tion had been greatly Exaggerated" and said that the operators had been more or less openly following tac- ties that forced q strike so they could get higher prices and greater profits
 No Return to Work
 There won't be a single return to work this week" Mir. Lewis said, from the 500 000 men who went out. It takes little longer for us to get reports from the nonunion fields. Tn the West Virginia Panha andle. for in- stance, along the Ohio line there are about 5.000 or 5000 men In nonunion miners for whom meetings are being held today. They'll probably be out tomorrow. There are meetings here and there in the nonunion territory all over the United States today. We'll get the returns later. In the union territory we know what hap pened; the operators are not going to try to run the mines"
 Taking notice of a statement of Chairman Borah of the Senate labor committee that the government ought to intervene further in the situation Mir. Lewis remarked that he was afraid nothing much could be done with the operators
 Every attempt has been made to get them 10 meet tnelr obligation TO continue collective bargaining with us," he continued, and assume they will maintain their refusal no matter who tries to get them to confer We stand ready to enter any conference with them to discuss terms of new wage contract which will allow us to resume work.
 "If the miners today were, occupy ing the position of refusing to dis cuss wage contract, as the oper- ators are, they'd be morally casti- gated by all the citizenry of this land"
 Break In Union Lines
 The only break in the union lines. the miners president said. was in western Kentucky. where operations were being continued under a con- tract which runs until April, 1923
 They will stay on the job, of course" said Mir Lewis. "The coal they get out does not enter into the cen tral and eastern field competition be- cause IL goes south to market.
 The operators look upon each other as competitors" MT. Lewis
 tcontinued on Page Two.)