Evening star., 1941-04-02
Bottle at Ford Gates

DETROIT, April 2 LP).-C. I. o.
strikers armed with wooden slaves
battled non-strikers welding iron
pipes and wrenches in the streets OF
suburban Dearborn today, resulting
in more than two score injuries and
an order by Gov. Murray D. Van
Wagner for Michigan State police
TO restore peace in a strike at the
Ford Motor Co.'S huge Rouge plant.
Miles of pavement were Uttered
with bricks and metal bolts hurled
by the opposing factions as the
CT. 0. struck at the last non
union stronghold of the automobile
industry. A flying brick knocked
one mounted Dearborn policeman
from his horse.
Union officials maintained a tight
barricade of streets leading to the
plant, and contended that operations
of the factory had ceased, except
for the maintenance workers the
union permitted to enter the gates.
No statement was made by the Ford
MANAGEMENT on whether enough
employees slipped past the plckets to
resume production which was para
lived when the strike began last
night.
Strikers Make Defense Offer.
The u. A. VIC. I. o. Ford Orga-
niZing Committee offered this morn
ing, in a telegram to directors of
the Office of Production Manage
ment, to send back to work in the
Ford plant all its members needed
for work on defense orders.
The telegram informed William S.
Knudsen and Sidney Hillman: "If
YOU can obtain the company's CO.
operation, we are ready to have a
representative of o. P. M. or the
United States Department of Labor
indicate which Rouge employees are
needed for national defense work
and to facilitate their entrance into
the plant
Several Strikers Hurt.
Today's violence centered at gate
on Miller road, but isolated clashes
broke out over an area extending
several blocks away.
Between 80 and 40 strikers. the
union reported, were treated at the
emergency medical center eStab-
lished by the U. A. w. near its Ford
headquarters. The most seriously
injured was Lawrence Ferrante, 25,
stabbed in the back.
Most of the strikers bore bruises
and cuts suffered in hand-to-hand
fighting or from blows from metal
objects and wooden clubs.
Traffic in Dearborn in wide area
about the Ford plant was thrown
into the utmost confusion by the
strike blockade. Strikers pulled a
trolley pole off one streetcar, block
ing the line.
The Governor, maintaining close
contact with the strike situation
from headquarters in Detroit
hotel, where he conferred with State
police officials and State labor
mediators, announced he was Or
dering the full available strength
OF the State police to attempt to
end the clashes between strikers.
Intermittent Fighting.
Intermittent fighting was reported
from several points near Fordis
big Rouge plant, the worlds largest
industrial unit, which employs more
than $4,000 workers.
State police were reported to have
about $50 officers ready for service
In the strike emergency.
More than 100 Dearborn police
headed by Chief Carl A. Brooks
had been the only law enforcement
officers active at the scene prior to
the Governors order for State po-
lice.
officials of the United Automobile
Workers who called the strike short
ly after midnight, charging "delib-
crate provocation" by the Ford
management, claimed this morning
that the strike was completely
effective
Harry H. Bennett, Ford personnel
director said the strike shows an
extremely unpatriotic attitude on
(See FORD, Page A-3)