The Washington times., 1935-11-13
STRIKE THREAT
FOLLOWS ROW
ON CONTRACT
Buyer Asserts u. S,
Firms Didn't Bid
on Bridqe Order


Threat of a congressional in
Vestigation of the letting OF
$4,000 contract to a German
firm for steel for New York's Trl-
Borough Bridge came today while
the American Iron and Steel
Institute called a special meeting
for tomorrow.
While protests came from labor
organizations, steel producers and
steel unions, possibility OF q strike
on the bridge project appeared.
In proposing congressional
Investigation, Representative Sam
uel Dickstein CD of New York,
called use of Nazi steel on an
American Public Works project
an outrage"
There must be a sweeping in
Vestigation of conditions which
made such a thing possible" he
asserted, land I am ready to spon-
sor such an investigation by Con-
gress.
This nation was built on Ameri-
can-made steel and there is no
need now, with unemployment,
economic distress and idle indus
tries, to 20 to Germany to get steel
for an approach to an American
bridge"
WOll Protests
Labor's protest was voiced by
Matthew Woll, vice president OF
the American Federation of Labor.
He wired PWA Administrator
Harold IckeS that it was the duty
of the American Government to
protect American interests, instead
of aiding foreign capitalists,
much less the Nazi regime"
One local union already has met
to determine what action, If any.
should be taken in the event the
German order is permitted to
stand. It was Local No. 40 Of the
Bridge and Structural Iron and
Steel Workers Union, which voted
unanimously to protest the bridge
contract.
Speakers at the meeting de-
clared:
steel workers in this country
will never sink so low as to handle
Nazi steel" -.
The contract for German steel
for the Triborough bridge PWA
project here was let by the
Woodcrest Construction Company,
subcontractor, it was learned to-
day.
William Goldsmith, treasurer
OF the Woodcrest Company. de
clared no American firms had
bid on the steel, although there
were persistent rumorS no less
than five United States firms
had submitted bids.
Mr.. Goldsmith also asserted
American firms had refused for
the past IL years to produce pill
ing of the particular type re-
quired, because it would necessi-
tate expensive changes in their
machinery.
Willing to Pay More
His firm willingly would have
paid more for American steel
piling of the proper kind if it
had been available, he said.
Supporting Mr.. GoldSmith'S as
sertionS, Henry Hack, vice presi-
dent of the Klockner Steel Cor
poration, which imports German
steel, insisted that the type Of
steel ordered for the Triborough
Bridge was not obtainable in this
country.
The steel in question is made
at Osnabruck, near Bremen. at a
rolling mill owned by the Klock-
ner Steel Mills, Inc, Mr.. Hack
said.
Meanwhile. directors Of the
Iron 81 Steel Institute, represent
ing American manufacturers,
were preparing to meet here to-
morrow to take formal action.
An effort by Mr.. IckeS yeSter-
day to shift responsibility for the
letting of the contract to the Tri-
borough Bridge Authority brought
sharp rebukes today from Nathan
Burkan, chairman of the author.
ity; Robert Moses, executive Sec
retary, and Col. H. w. Hudson,
engineer in charge Of conStruc-
ton for the authority.
AL three insisted responsibility