Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-29
Quick Expected
On Bills 10 Prevent
Brakes on Defense
House Members to Press
For Consideration of
Drastic Measures
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Quick House action was forecast
today on proposed legislation de-
signed to prevent labor strikes and
subversive activities that would serve
rs a brake on Americas defense pro-
gram.
Two bills with the same objective
to keep in continuous motion the
wheels in plants turning out air
planes, munitions and other war
materialS-Were introduced yester-
day by House members, aroused over
recent strikes in defense industries,
who are preparing to press for their
immediate consideration.
One measure, introduced by Rep
reSentative Smith, Democrat, of
Virginia, chairman of a special COM
mittee investigating the National
Labor Relations Board, calls for life
imprisonment as the maximum pen
atty for any person who damages or
destroys property used in connection
with the national defense program.
Strike Would Be Banned.
The other, sponsored by Repre-
sentative Hoffman, Republican, of
Michigan, would outlaw strikes in
industries working on defense con-
tracts. In addition it provides for
compulsory arbitration of labor dis
putes in those industries.
President Roosevelt refused to
comment today on the measures.
Asked at a press conference for
his reaction on the bill of Repre-
sentative Smith. he merely shook
his head and commented he UNDER
stood such bills were being dropped
in the hopper at the rate OF about
three minute.
Mr.. Hoffman also introduced
resolution directing the Secretary
Nof War to furnish the House with all
information in his possession show
ing whether any contractor engaged
in national defense work on Army
reservations requires employees to be
- member of labor union.
These bills and the resolution were
dropped into the House hopper a
few hours before Chairman Summers
of the Judiciary Committee received
letter from Attorney General Jack
son indicating that no additional
legislation is needed to handle the
law-enforcement problem in connec-
ton with strikes.
Jackson Sees No Difficulty.
Certainly, in the field of law en-
forcement with which this depart
ment is concerned" wrote the At
torney General. the present situa-
ton in respect to strikes presents no
law-enforcement problem that is
either novel or out of hand ."
Representative Summers, at the
direction of his committee, wrote
Mr.. Jackson Tuesday inquiring
whether additional legislation is
needed at this time to prevent inter-
ference with production of defense
materials.
Mr.. Jackson pointed out that the
situation" which precipitated the
committees inquiry-the strike at
the Vultee aircraft plant in Cali
fornia-"has now been solved with
bout additional legislation"
The Attorney General also said:
in view of the fact that primarily
responsibility for the procurement
of materials is upon the War and
Navy Departments and members of
the Defense Commission in charge
of production and that the matter of
labor relations is primarily upon the
Department of Labor and the men,
bers of the Defense Commission in
charge of labor relations, any sugges-
tons from me at this time for legis-
lative action would be nothing more
than the intrusion of personal views,
more likely to complicate than to
solve the problem.
Discusses Meade Situation.
Representative Hoffman preceded
the introduction of his bill and reso-
luton with a speech in the House
during which he called attention to
a recent article in The Star concern
ing conditions at Fort Meade in
nearby Maryland.
He opened his speech by saying:
The, matter l wanted to talk
about today for a. few moments
was an article which appeared
in The Star not long ago in which
it was stated that one of their re-
porters went down to Fort Meade.
It seems that the reporter made a
|. little mistake. He said he was given
q union card there without stating
qualifications. Mr.. Blumenberg of
the union came up, and The Star
published a retraction. They said,
and apparently that statement is
correct, that the reporter signed a
card in which he said that he had
had four years experience as car
penter. I will put copy Of that
card in the Record. The card states
that before he went to work he was
given permission to work for week.
Then it states that the balance due.
If he continued at work, was $3.50"
Refers to Meat of Case"
After a brief interruption Repre-
sentative Hoffman continued:
Let us get back to what wanted
to talk about. The point in The
Star situation was not whether the
reporter had stated his qualifica-
lions to be this, that or the other
The real meat of the thing was that
before you can work on defense
program you must come across with
this tribute. That is the point. The
Star published this card, which
shows that that is the situation.
The gentleman from Colorado, the
chairman of the Committee on APP
preparations, Representative Taylor
of Colorado, said that he was willing
to do anything to aid in our defense
program.
Cites Big Sums Given Unions.
1.-THE statement of the President,
that there must not be any more
strikes in defense industries, does
\ not solve the question at all, and
the action of the Judiciary Commit
tee of the House in suggesting legis-
lation does not answer the real
question Of course we must pro-