Evening star., 1937-06-27
SaysHeTurned
Down Plan to
FOrcePeace.
"AUTOCRATIC,"
HE DECLARES
Only Asked Use of
Subpoena, She
Explains.

BACKGROUND
Refusal of three big independ-
ent steel compdnies-Republic
Youngstown Sheet & Tube and
Inldnd-to sign bargaining con-
tract ,Dith John L. Lewis C. I. o.
brought strike call on May IS. Or
0anization effort has forced 100 900
ioorkers in seven States into idle
ness and has been marked BY II
deaths and hundreds injured.
Effort Was later centered on Beth
lehem's Cambria plant at Johns
toUn, Pa. 1uhere martial lo,U ,Uas
proclaimed last Sunday, but lifted
teU days later Coz. darcy sent
National Guardsmen into Mahon-
ing Valley area. Appeal to Presi-
dent Roosevelt to intervene brought
naming OF mediation board, but
efforts to bring peace ,rere truitless.
~ the Associated Press.
YOUNGSTOWN. Ohio, June 90
While the steel strike front rumbled
with threats Of new strife. Gov. Martin
L. Davey of Ohio told labor leaders
tonight he had turned down fatty La
Dor Secretary Perkins "autocratic and
dictatorial' plan for forcing a settle
ment.
Since the failure of her Mediation
Boards peace efforts, Davey said, Miss
Perkins had asked him to keep the
steel plants closed and to bring steel
makers Tom Girdler and Frank Pur-
nell to the State capital-"and keep
them here until they signed an agree
ment"
Miss Perkins, he added, had sug-
gested by long-distance telephone
from Washington that he use the
subpoena power Of the State Indus
trial Commission to bring the steel
men to Columbus.
Miss Perkins, in reply. said tonight
Rhe merely suggested" to Gov. Davey
that he use the subpoena power to
bring the steel men into a peace con-
ference with strike leaders. Her Me-
diation Board, she recalled, had sug-
gested the conference method of
settling the strike.
No Right to Close Plants.
II have no right to keep plants
closed except in case of riot" said the
Governor, whose order to National
Guardsmen to protect those employees
wanting to work was responsible for
the reopening Of Youngstown plants
yesterday.
Secretary Perkins suggestion would
o.. In my judgment, the exercise of
the most autocratic and dictatorial
powers ever attempted.
In private life it would be kidnap-
ing Until the courts have decided
that the companies have to sign con-
tracts or agreements I have no right
10 take any one and hold them
THAT might be all right in Ger
many or Italy. I am not going to
abuse my constitutional power for
Mr.. Girdler or any one else. >.
II recognize that I may have COM
mitted political suicide. knew
from the outset that the situation
was loaded with dynamite, but
have put politics out of considera-
ton"
In reply to Gov. Davey, Secretary
Perkins. in statement issued
through An assistant in Washington
said:
Il merely suggested to Gov. Davey,
inasmuch as the Federal Steel Board
reported it believed An adjustment
of differences could be reached II
the parties concerned sat down to-
gether, that the State of Ohio had
the subpoena power to bring all con-
eerned into joint conference and
thus try out the boards proposal Of
attempting to reach \ voluntary set
tlement by the conference method"
Davey refused to remove the Ma
tional Guard from the mill towns
The labor delegation. informed of
(see STRIKE, Page A-4.)