Evening star., 1937-07-24

By the Associate Press.
The Capital speculated today over
what the reaction of the Roosevelt
administration would be to the first
c. l. o. criticism of its policies during
the Midwest steel strike.
The Steel Workers Organizing Com
mittee reported to the Executive Board
of John l.. Lewis United Mine Work
ers:
The Federal Government through
out this entire situation has not dis
played the slightest interest in pro-
tecting the rights of the steel workers
on strike, which have been so fiagrantly
disregarded
violations of the national statutes
such as the national firearms act. BY
the steel corporations have produced
no activity on the part of nationa
officials"
Administration leaders made no i'm.
mediate reply to the statement. which
came from Lewis two major unions
The c. I. O. chieftain and the mint
workers were active in support of Presi.
dent Roosevelt's candidacy for re.
election last year.
Roosevelt Silent.
Mr.. Roosevelt has given out no com.
ment on the steel strikes for month
He told a press conference in JUNE
that he believed many people were
saying, "a plague on both your houses. ;
White House aides explained he wa.
referring to extremists on both sides
The Mine Workers Board. after re.
ceiving the S. w. O. C. report yester.
day, unanimously adopted resolution
protesting the complete lackadaisica
and unconcerned attitude" of nationa
and State authorities.
IL also condemned "anti-labor prac.
tees and policies Of the local official,
and the State officials who have se
gladly co-operated with Tom Girdle,
and Eugene Grace in an attempt te
break the steel strike"
1t called on Federal and State Off.
Gals Ito bring to justice those per.
sons who actively participated and
the officials OF the steel corporations
who are definitely responsible for the
Wanton murder Of II steel workers"
None Brought to Account
Not a single person, the steel work.
ers report said, has been brought It
account for those deaths.
All OF these steel workers who
have been murdered" it said were
shot when they were completely de.
1enseless and doing nothing but at.
tempting to exercise their right O,
peaceful picketing.
Not single steel worker engaged
IN the strike has. as yet. been con.
vlcted OF any serious of1ense. On],
few fines have been imposed TO,
minor incidents"
The Senate Civil Liberties Com
mlttee investigated the deaths of II
strike sympathizers during a Memoria
day demonstration in Chicago. 1t re-
ported Thursday that police used "ex
cesslve force In breaking up tn,
demonstration. A Chicago coroner,
jury said the deaths were "justifiabl,
homicide -
The steel workers report declared
the refusal Of Republic Steel, Inlanc
Steel, Youngstown Sheet Il Tube, anc
bethlehem Steel to sign written wage
agreements violated the Wagner labo,
relations act.
The refusal stamps the leaders o.
| these corporations as the most reac.
tlonary and vicious industrlalists ir
the country" it said
The Labor Relations Board recessed
yesterday hearing into charges thai
Republic Steel violated the Wagner
act before and during the strike.
Mail Cases Cited.
The steel workers report continued
'Purported attempts on the part O.
some OF the strike pickets to della,
the introduction into the plants O.
food for strike breakers through tn,
Use OF the mails, has produced ex.
traord1nary activity on the part Of tn,
Federal Government in securing in.
dlctments against the strike pickets,
Because of direct instructions from
Attorney General Cummings, tn,
Federal district attorney in Cleveland
where these indictments were re
| turned. attempted to bring on TO
trial the cases against these picket
only three days after they were ar
raigned before the judge without eve,
| af1ording an opportunity to obtai,
and advise with counsel"
The Senate Post Office Committe,
heard testimony of postal Official
that they would not deliver package
Of food to strikebound plants becaus,
it was unusual service. The commit
tee decided there was no iustiflca ito,
for further inquiry into charges O
mail interference.
The S. w. o. C. report said stee
workers by the hundreds" had bee,
jailed for days on no charges an,
had been freed only after promisin,
not to sue for false arrest.
1t declared that Gov. Martin Dave,
OF Ohio sent the National Guard int.
strike areas for the express plrpos
OF breaking the strike.