Evening star., 1937-02-08
c. |. O. Head Threatens to
Quit ParIey if A. F. l.
Leader Comes In.
REJECTION OF REQUEST
BY MURPHY INDICATED
Pessimism Rules as Negotiators
Go Into Crucial Session for
Settlement.
Ey the Associated Press.

DETROIT, February 8.-Nearly two
hours after they gathered for an
other effort to reach settlement OF
the far-reaching General Motors
strike, representatives of both the
corporation and the United Automo-
bile Workers were still in separate
group meetings today.
A development today was the dis
closure in an informed source that
requests by telephone and telegraph
from William Green, American Fed
Grafton of Labor head, for recogni-
ton as q party at interest in the
conferences had brought threat
from John L. Lewis, Committee for
Industrial Organization leader, to i'm
mediately walk out of the meetings.
The A. F. of L. has suspended c. !. Q.
unions.
Green, it was learned, telegraphed
Gov. Frank Murphy Saturday and
sent him telegram Sunday. Murphy
did not disclose his response, but 1t
was indicated Green's request had
been rejected.
The expectation was general today
that the conferences here would
break down on the question Of collec-
tive bargaining recognition.
AS the conferees started their sec
ond week of conversations the union
-; Iir,rr t1,n rini1f RI
sent workers in 20 plants Of the cor
poration; General Motors still was
refusing to recede an inch from its
position that it could not agree to any,
thing more than proportional repre-
sentation-the right Of the union to
speak for its own membership only.
One of the participants in the con-
Versations who refused to permit his
name to be used disclosed that the
possibilities of a plebiscite among all
General Motors employees had been
thoroughly explored" and added:
"It does not now offer way out"
Adjournment Feared.
Hope for an agreement out Of TO-
days session seemingly was at its
lowest ebb as the conference assem-
bled. The impression grew that the
meetings would be adjourned indefi"
nitely this afternoon, breaking down
solely on the question of bargaining
recognition. All other issues. accord
ing to Gov. Murphy, have been vir-
tually settled.
Before the conferees met today 1t
was learned authoritatively that sew
eral hundred different proposals had
been studied. The settlements reached
in nearly all previous major disputes
between capital and labor had been
analyzed thoroughly in an effort to
find a parallel to the present dead
lock. Point by point these previous
controversies have been studied with
out success.
One source usually well informed
said this forenoon that today's meet
ing probably would break up before
dark, either to resume in Washington
or without date. This possibility was
foreshadowed in Gov. Murphy's state
ment yesterday that an indefinite ad-
journment would have no special sig
nificance other than a need for in
vestigation of points under discussion.
Murphy Makes Suggestions.
Gov. Murphy, an informed source
said today, has made no attempt to
dictate the course of the conversa-
tions. He has offered suggestions
from time to time; has conferred
separately with each side and suc-
ceeded in keeping the conference
from breaking down several times.
The possibility was suggested to
Gov. Murphy that he might 60 to
Flint and personally appeal to the
"stay-in" strikers to vacate the plants
they have been occupying there. The
Governor expressed doubt the men
would leave voluntarily without a
strike settlement favorable to the
United Automobile Workers of Amer
lea.
All parties to the conference have
received some threatening letters. |
None, however, attached any signifi-
(See STRIKE, Page A-2.)