The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-06-19
Steel Strike Danger Takes Serious Aspect
GOv Earle of Penn. Demands of President Grace That He Close Bethlehem Steel Plant-If Not Mar.
 tiaI Law Will Close It Down

Oeclareo bnaL Lne Strlke was pemk sponsored by Russian red organi- zation."
 Secretary of Labor Frances Per- kins insisted that peace be main- tained during negotiations by the mediation board to restore peace between John L. Lewis Steel Work ers' Organizing Committee and four independent steel producers-the Republic Steel Corporation, Inland Steel Corporation, Youngstown Sheet & Tube company and the Bethlehem Steel corporation. Status Quo Demanded
 T will stand by my request for maintenance of the status Quo'," she said. Tt js very important in order to maintain a sense cf con1l. dence and peace. That is necessary. People who are all hot and both- cred don't confer we'll"
 Momentarily, the conflict threat ened ot destroy the campaign of fed- eral and local governments for Q truce, and to produce new violence along picket lines.
 Strike-torn steel centers of Can- ton, Youngstown, Warren and Johnstown app1 cached the edge of clashes between impatient non- strikers, demanding protection for an immediate back-to-work march, and the redoubled lines of husky pickets, demanding that the four in- dependent companies sign contracts with the Lewis union.
 Showdown at Canton
 Those conflicting demands result ed in a showdown at Canton, where two clamorous back-to-work march, es were halted just short of picket lines surrounding the Republic cor poration's plant. Seven non-strikers were seized forcibly and held tem- porarily at union headquarters.
 John G. Stewart, a spokesman for the back-to-work group and one of the seven men seized by union raid CTS last night, declared that plans for march ageinst picket lines to- morrow "still stand"
 The National Labor Relations Board sent investigators into Ohio to inquire into union charges that the Republic corporation had violat- ed the Wagner labor act "by intim- idating and diSCharging union em- ployes."
 Mayor Shields Hits Gov.
 Johnstown, Pa., June 19.-tUP)- Mayor Daniel H. Shields, bitterly criticizing Gov. George H. Earles request that Bethlehem Steel Corp oration close its Johnstown plant as anarchy, appealed urgently to Presi- dent Roosevelt today to lend this reign of terror"
 Shields said that he had received threats that his home was to be dynamited and that his family would be destroyed.
 The news of Gov. Earle's telegram to Eugene G. Grace, president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, came early this morning while striking steel workers strengthened their picket lines around the corporations huge Cambria plant and their lead- CTS planned labor mass meeting for tomorrow in which they hoped that 0,000 men would take part.
 In United. Mine Workers district No. 5 union leaders planned a march of miners on Johnstown to join ap- proximately 10000 workers from that area at the meeting.
 News of the meeting so alarmed Sheriff Michael J. Boyle that he telegraphed Gov. Earle for troops, asserting that local law enforcement authorities would be unable to cope with the situation. His telegram precipitated Earle's telegram to Grace.
 Already on the picket line, were 800 members of the miners union, work CTS in the captive mines of the Bethlehem Corporation, who had been called out on sympathy strike by John L. Lewis, president of the United and chairman of the Com mittee for Industrial Organization.
 Shields seemed astonished by Earle's telegram. He said the gov- ernor had shown "superlative de- i, gree of poor judgment"
 "It is next to anarchy to ask MT. Grace to close the plant" he said. Tt is a superlative degree of poor judgment to allow outside agitators and communists to paralyze the city of Johnstown. If were Eugene Grace I would tell Gov. Earl I ab- solutely would not do such a thing"
 Shields telegram to President Roosevelt was his second. Tn his first he asked the president to ask Lewis to withdraw "murderouS ele- ments from my city" In his second l early today, he said that the strike was being sponsored "by 8 Russian red organization gaining prestige from the use of your name.'