The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-11-26
THE
WASHINGTON
SCENE
BY HENRY ION

Eugene Grace, president of Bethle-
hem Steel, came into near contact
with representatives of the public the
other day. He did not enjoy the ex-
perience Neither did representatives
of the public.
| The occasion was a press confer
ence following the collapse of nego-
tiations between Grace, Pres. Benja-
min Fairless of u S. Steel, and Pres.
Frank Purnell of Youngstown Sheet
G. Tube, and officials of the United
Mine Workers (CIO) The place was
Fairless' suite in the swank Wardman
Park Hotel. The time, about 4:30
Sunday afternoon, Nov. 16.
AS reporters, eager for the steel
executives side of the story, piled into
the Fairless suite, Grace affably of
fered cigars. No one accepted the
offer.
Fairless sat in a chair in the middle
of the room. Grace perched on a
sofa while Purnell strolled around the
room. Fairless began.
The florid-faced president of U. S.
Steel wanted to say that he, Grace
and Purnell had been called to town
by the President, that they had dis
cussed the captive mine dispute with
Pres. John L. Lewis of the mine work
ers for three days, and that no con-
illusions had been reached. And that
was all that Fairless had to say.
INN inc orI
that he had heard reports that the
three steel barons were not in agree
ment Would Mr.. Fairless care to say
anything about those reports.
Fairless looked at Grace. Grace
looked at the reporter. Purnell looked
at the reporter. Purnell looked at
Fairless. Nothing was said for a mo-
ment. Purnell then remarked, isn't
it true, Mr.. Fairless, that we will
make our report to the President as
individuals?"
Grace interviewed demanding to
know if the reporter had gotten his
information from Lewis. The report
er assured him that was not the case
while others chimed in to back up
the assertion that Lewis, in a confer
ence out in the hall few minutes
earlier, had made no mention at all
OF the subject.
Skeptical, Grace shut down after
venomously to Purnell, |
you would put your foot into it,"
The questioner took up the matter |
with Tfa if-lncc
boss was flustered. He didn't want to |
say yes and he didn't want to say |
no. So he said the conference was
over
Another reporter took up the cud-
gels. Would the gentlemen be salts
fled to leave the implication that the
reports of disunity were true? Speci- |
fically, the report had it that Grace |
was the hold-out.
Grace leaped into action again. /
Could that implication be drawn from
anything that had been said? He was
assured that it could be and would
be in the absence of any denial that
such was the case.
Then Purnell opened up. He said II
he position of his company was the
same as it was before the Natl De
ense Mediation Board. Grace took
ournell by the arm and guided him
o corner of the room, lectured him
briefly and started to return to the
ofa.
"Ill tell EN-" Purnell said. Grace
ghirled. NO" he said sharply and
eturned to his seat on the sofa. n
The questioner came back to Fair
ess. He looked uneasily about and
hen Grace, Purnell and Fairless went II
nto huddle to decide whether they II
we're united or not. Fairless came
ack to his chair, Grace smiled and
'urnell went back into a corner of i
he room.
There is one fundamental issue, as
GU know" Fairless said, "and that
5 the closed shop-union shop-yer-
us the open shop. So far as our re-
pective companies are concerned as
represented by US, we are undivided
4 our opposition to union shop"
A furry of questions as to whether
ny of the companies was willing to
rise above principles" was countered
y Fairless who was getting angry by |
he unseemly treatment of a steel
oss and, feeling the steel bosses had
cen pressed as far as they would /
0, reporters let up.
The unanimous opinion was that
iessrs. Grace, Fairless and Purnell 1
'ere not in agreement.
DEMAND THE UNION LABEL!