The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-30
Mines Reopen With
 All Speed Possible
Continued from Page D

lieved, however, that the steel pro- ducers will accept the recommenda- tion whatever it may be since most of them previously had agreed to procedure similar to that now pro- posed by MT. Roosevelt. The steel companies which own the mines are open shop operators.
 The president is believed to be prepared to begin immediately to exercise his extraordinary unlimited emergency powers if a truce is not reached today or if, later, Lewis again calls the miners out on the union shop issue.
 Lewis, Myron c. Taylor, former chairman of the board of the United staaes Steel Corporation, and Chairman William H. Davis, of the mediation board, met here yesterday and adjourned thereafter to the White House where Davis made public the following letter from MT. Roosevelt addressed to him:
 HI have asked the United States Steel Corporation and the United Mine Workers of America if they will immediately reopen the mines, on the understanding that the na- tional defense mediation board will proceed infull session to consider the merits of the dispute and make its final recommendations. It is under stood that neither party is com- mitted in advance to accept the final recommendations.
 You have informed me that the full board is meeting on Friday, and will be prepared to consider the matter continuously until it makes its final recommendations"
 Out Last Saturday
 Lewis called the captive coal min CTS out at midnight last Saturday in rejecting 8 to l proposal of a three-man board panel that the full board undertake to make recom- mendations on the union shop is- sue if both sides to the controversy would agree to be bound by them.
 Alternatively, the three-man panel proposed that a board representing both sides attempt to settle the union shop issue by negotiation and, failing htat, that the matter be sub mitted to arbitration.
 The tllree-map panel declined at that time to make a recommenda- tion on the merits of the union shop issue, holding that there was TO precedtn in the law for or against Waat amounts substantially to a closed shop.
 MT. Rooseyelts latest proposal or it may have originated with Da- vis--that the full board shall con- Sider the merits of the union shop controversy will be interpreted by many persons as a concession to Lewis and, likewise, the assurance that the boards recommendation need not be binding might be so judged. But if the President is holding a big stick behind his back and intends to deal promptly and drastically with Lewis if recom- mendation against 8 union shop leads to another strike, the conces- sions may be considerably more apparent than real.
 Lewis to Sace Face
 It seems reasonable, however, to believe that Lewis has been given an opportunity to save face if he desires to take it. He can say today that he has persuaded his sub-leaders to a truce. That Mir Roosevelt will move in over Lewis head if necessary to obtai nproduc- tion in the captive mines is gen. era,ly believed here by practically everyone. He might actually take over the pits in the hope that un- der military protection miners could be persuaded to work regardless ot Lewis.
 Meantime, the temper of Congress is such that continuance or a re- sumption of the strike after truce would develop tremendous pressure for anti-strike legislation. That may be a major factor in deter mining Lewis strategy and in per. suading him today to accept the latest White House plan to get the workers back in the mines. The entire Texas delegation to the House adopted a resolution denouncine selfish leaders" of labor and pledg. ing to support legislation to prevent or curb strikes. Sen. Allen J. FL lender, D., La., notable New Dealer termed MT. Roosevelt's plan as "toc soft" and as designed to "appease' Lewis.