Evening star., 1941-11-11
Army Office Set UpinCoo|Areo
For Survey Of Mines, Arousing
Speculation on Seizure by u. S.
Move Explained
In Pittsburgh
As Precautionary
BY the Associated Press.

an emergency in the captive
coal mine situation, the Army
has established an intelligence
center in Pittsburgh to survey
the coal fields and keep in touch
with miners and operators.
Although the move was explained
In Pittsburgh today as purely pre-
Cautionary, it Immediately aroused
speculation that the Government
might be getting ready to take over
the captive mines should John L.
Lewis, head Of the United Mine
Workers, call strike.
Mr.. Lewis withheld comment on
his next move following the Defense
Mediation Boards action last night
in rejecting the U NJ W.'s demand
for union shop in the steel COM
pany owned captive mines, which
supply coal for steel mill furnaces.
A contingent of several officers
and enlisted men was stationed at a
Pittsburgh hotel. with an hours
vi ~ llIS dlSJdlllt VI VIC IAll SoulIl-
western PENNSYLVANIA coal fields
where the bulk of the captive mines
are located.
Kennedy Sees President.
Earlier, an associate of Mr. Lewis
said he understood the Army had
been surveying a coal mine in the
Pittsburgh area
Philip Murray, president of the
c. I. O. and vice president OF the
United Mine Workers. called a press
conference for late afternoon.
Thomas Kennedy, secretary treas
urer of the U. M. w. conferred with
President Roosevelt during the day.
but told reporters that his discussion
was personal.
AS members of the Defense Media
ton Board. Mr. Murray and Mr..
Kennedy cast the only two votes in
favor of the mine workers demand
for a closed shop in the captive
mines.
In announcing the Kennedy ap-
pointment. the White House did not
say whether the President was PLAN
ming to appeal to union officials to
withhold their strike call.
Mr.. Lewis, the mine workers
president, remained silent on the
unions next move. AS soon as the
boards decision was revealed. he
summoned the members of the U.
M. VS. Scale Committee to spe-
cial meeting here Friday.
cat Pittsburgh, P. T. Fagan.
president of U. NJ W.s District
. s, called the Mediation Boards
recommendation "a rotten de-
cisionD
Reminded of 1922.
Mr.. Lewis associate. who de-
clined the use of his name. said the
present situation reminded him of
an occasion in 1922 when. he relat-
ed, 1000 striking miners marched
up to an American flag at coal
mine. saluted it and said
we love YOU. we'll fight for you,
but we'll be damned if we'll scab
for you"
The miners Scale Committee has
the power to decide whether to bow
TO the boards recommendation or
to renew last months strike which
affected $4,000 miners in the
captive mines, operated by and pro-
ducing coal exclusively for the Ma
tion's large steel companies. If
test of strength were decided on,
conceivably the unions 100000 COM
mercial miners might be called out
IN sympathy.
The full membership of the Me-
diation Board participated in yes
terdavs vote. Three of its men,
bers represent the public's interest,
four represent industry and four
labor. Of the latter two are af-
filiated with the A. F. L. and two
with the C. I. O. Only the two
c. I. o. members voted for the
union shop. They were Mr.. Murray
and Mr.. Kennedy.
The union shop menas that
all employees would be re-
quired to join the union after
specified period of employment.
The current Appalachian agreement
with commercial mines gives the
U. NJ. w a union shop in those
workings. Some of the large steel
companies have firmly resisted such
clause for the captive mines in
the belief it would prove an enter
St,c Ic1 fn- rl, ,,, !,
entire steel industry.
Union Shop Only Issue.
The union, the operators and the
Mediation Board were agreed on
the advisability of giving the cap
tive mine employees the same wage
and working conditions as their
fellow workers already covered by
the Appalachian agreement. The
union shop was the only point at
issue. But that had proved suf-
f1cient to provoke three-day strike
last month, ended under a truce
which Mr.. Lewis said would extend
to Saturday. while the Mediation
Board looked into the disagreement
at the behest of President Roose-
welt.
The Mediation Boards recon-
mendation was not mandatory, but
the force of public opinion was re-
lied on to make it effective.
Voting for the recommendation
against the union shop were Chair
man William H. Davis, Frank P.
Graham and Charles E. Wyzanski,
jr., the public's representatives;
Cyrus Ching, Roger D. Lapham, w.
c. Teagle and Eugene Meyer, en-
ployer representatives and William
A. Calvin and George Lynch. labor