Evening star., 1925-11-23
j. s. DENIES PART
IN SOFT COAL PACT
Lewis Attempt to Force
Presidents Hand Brings
Out Misstatement.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

John L. Lewis. president of the
United Mine Workers. has forced
President Coolidce's hand in the coal
controversy-but that's not saving he
has gained anything by it. For now
that Mr.. Lewis has carried the case
to the public prints. the President
will say publicly what he and Secre-
tary Hoover have been saving pri-
Vately for several weeks. namely. that
the Government cannot intervene to
force the fulfillment of contracts to
Whlch 1t is not party and that the
miners can have recourse to the
courts If they feel contracts have
been broken by the mine owners.
The letter written by Mr.. Lewis
can be interpreted as containing "A
threat of a soft coal strike, and II
also can be construed as forecasting
an appeal to the courts. 1t was pur-
posely left in ambiguity to draw some
expression from President COOLIDGE
which might be used as justification
for either course.
MisStatement Seen.
Mr.. Lewis letter is considered bv
Government officials to he incorrect in
one important particular. When he
says the Federal Government NOT
conference but participated in it and
approved its findings, he misstates
the case. The Departments of Justice
Commerce and Labor did assist in
bringing the parties together and the
Attorney General gave the usual as
surances that there would he no
prosecution for possible violation of
the Sherman antitrust law If the
miners and operators sat down to
discuss wage sea les, but once the con.
ference began the Federal Govern
ment stood by as an unofficial OBJ
server" No responsibility for what
was agreed upon was assumed The
best proof of this is contained in the
record of what has happened since
the Jack ksonVille conference
When some of the operators. for
example, finding the Jacksonville
agreement burdensome, appealed to
the Government to abrogate 1t, or
at least to ease its terms. Secretary
Hoover turned down the request fatlv.
stating that the Government was not
a party to the contact and could
MOI intervene, except at the request
of both parties.
Having, therefore, refused to break
the contracts for the operators. the
Federal Government now refuses to
enforce the agreements for the
miners. The Government takes the
position that contract between
private parties is enforceable by the
courts.
Court Action Too Slow.
But will the miners carry the case
to the courts? They cannot hope to
get verdict in time to be Of use TO
them in the next few weeks.
Mr.. Lewis might. of course. be
getting ready to carry out the long
discussed threat of a strike in the
soft coal industry. arguing that con
tracts are no longer sacred and that
economic force alone counts, or he
may be preparing for a surrender in
another parley which he hopes the
Government may call to straighten
out. the whole business Mr.. Lewis
has been hopeful of Government in
tervention ever since last August.
President Coolidge has been set
against 1t. Stories TO the effect that
the Government was n party to the
Jacksonville agreement and now must
enforce it have been emanating from
mine headquarters for several weeks
without avail. Now Mr. Lewis has
come out in the open in the hope
Of drawing some reply from President
Coolidge which may be used as the
excuse for the next step toward a
settlement.
(Copyright. 1929