Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-03

YOU can usually find out what
L John l.. Lewis and the coal
operators are going to do IN
their biennial chats by looking
up the amount OF surplus coal
on hand. The duration c. uegO-
tiationS and strikes in the past
has depended or how long the
consumerS can continue To get
coal without the pinch that
would rouse public clamor
When the pinch comes both
sides get agreeable.
Mr.. Roosevelt's estimaiors
may have told him. although
1t has not been officially an
nounced. that today the TN
precedented supply on hand
would serve the nation a 80
- days. Conflicting figures
currently being published refer
10 March - Last year al this
time stocks would supply only
IT days. Even two years ago
when a strike was Imminent.
the built-up supply was only
enough for 81 days
Mr. Roosevelt apparently de-
cided 43 TO As days is too long
TO wait for the boys to start
talking seriously and applied
the pinch arbitrarily from the
top But IN view of the supply,
officialdom generally has not
been inclined 10 regard The
situation with the seriousness
you might expect.
1T WAS Mr.. Roosevelt himself
Il who prompted the Snate
Democratic leadership Barley
Byrnes. George to float the idea
of amending section 9 OF the
Draft Act TO draft factories IN
cases Of strikes. Certain sena-
tors whose word Is not 10 be
doubted say they. received Inc
original notion from the White
House.
Usually the President has kept
quiet during strikes and Con
greSs has agitatcd action. but IN
tins case 1t seems the Senate
leadership vas also responsible
for poStponlng action
They were in a tigh' technical
situatio Ii they merely opened
the question they opened the
whole labor issue. not only for
this amendment but others which
congressman want. They thought
of passing this one point hur-
riedly on another bill from the
floor. but decided not 10 run that
danger unless absolutely nee
essary.
As the sponsors tcll II. tho
amendment would be purely
technical. All Roosevelt would
do in taking over a plant would
be to send a sergeant or a.
colonel around to sit in the
office-so they say. But the I'M
explored legal possibilities were
so expansive. both from the
interests of management and
labor. that all Congress was
uncomfortable at the suggestion.
MAYOR LA GUARDIA. who
lis working nights digging 4
third term pit so he may fall
into il in a way that has been
done before. has offered associ-
ates the following thrilling ac-
count of why he is not in the
Roosevelt defense program
The President called his New
York friend in some time ago,
drew out a pencil and pad and
started drawing boxes. His con-
versation ran along the line that
he had long wanted TO get
LaGuardia into some sort of
federal position. and he thought
he had one.
The pad showed three boxes
in a slanting line from the top
10 the bottom of the page. con-
nected by single lines.
"Now," said tn c President.
pointing TO the lowest box.
that's the defense commission"
Raising his pencil to the middle
box. he said: That's you"
Pointing to the top box, he
added: That's papa"
Further explanation confirmed
the fact tn at the President
wanted LaGuardia as liaison
man between himself and the
defense setup. LaGuardia made
a speech in reply. the gist of il
being the ioh was that of an
"errand boy" and he thought
his standing and career would
be injured by accepting.
The President leaned back
and conceded
II don't blame YOU.
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