The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-05
Drive Being Made To
 Open Up F ord Co.
(Continued from Page D

(Continued plants all over the country, plus the thousands employed in independent feeder factories. The company can- celled outstanding orders to 1000 suppliers who do an $ii ,000, 900 aver- age weekly business with Ford.
 Dewey hopes to induce some l,500 workers remaining in the plant, mostly Negroes employed in the foundry, to leave today under union pledge of safe conduct and state police assurance of safety.
 Appeals to Negroes
 He made a dramatic appearance before these men last night in an attempt to induce them to leave and thus clear danger point which had provided constant irritation of the smooth course of mediation.
 Reports had pictured the Negroes as running wild" inside the plant. whilirg away their time by forging knives up to six feet in length in the foundry and racing new auto mobiles, army "Blitz Buggies' and tractors over the grounds. Union leaders said they had terroriZed the union maintenance men who had been sent into the plant.
 Feeling that negotiations could not get down to basic problems un- til plant incidents were liquidated, Dewey went to the plant in state police car and went unarmed into the great foundry which the Negroes had converted into their bivouack and arsenal.
 Limping, because or arthritls, Dewey climbed a metal catwalk ard hammered his cane on the railing to get the attention Of the hundreds of Negroes who began clustering be- low him carrying their homemade weapons The reports about the size of the knives had not been exag- gerated The frightened. uneasy black men, carried blades three, four and six feet long.
 Dewey Coaxed, CajOled
 Dewey pleaded. cajoled, threaten cd. Spokesmen for the men told him they were afraid of the union plcketS ouLSlue'
 T even told them I'll take you home and put you to bed," Dewey said.
 In the end the spokesman for the men told Dewey they would think 1t over."
 Michael P. Widman, Jr, chief of the UAW-CIOs Ford organization drive, said union informants had told him the Ford service depart- ment instructed the men to hide their weapons, behave themselves and tell Dewey they were being well treated and were afraid to leave. A company spokesman denied this al- legation.
 Dewey would make no comment on this phase of discussion.
 T talked to thousand of them. The attitude of the men in the plant was very bad" he said.
 Some 200 men screwed up their courage during the night to leave the plant, picketed since last Tues day. To their surprise the C1O pick cts shook their hands, cheered them, fed them coffee and sandwiches and escorted them to transportation with no more molestation than un- ion sales talks.
 Cheers of Tickets
 About 50 Negroes spent the night in 6 waiting room near the gate. From time to time, they started for the gate, but the cheers of the pickets, intended to reassure them, sent them scuttling back.
 I. A. Capizzi, Ford lawyer, left for Washington today before War Sec- retary Henry L. Stimson a brief case full of papers intended to prove that Communists were directing the strike to sabotage Ford's $l54,000,- 900 worth of defense orders.
 R. J. Thomas, International JAW President, telegraphed Stimson that this evidence was "a complete false hood" and that the company had refused the unions offer to let de- fense workers through the picket lines to continue work on Ford air. plane and airplane engine factories and other defense work.
 Allis- Chalmers Status
 Washington. April 5-(UP)-Al- lis-C Chalmers labor and management representatives meet with the de- fense mediation board today in an attempt to settle the 73-day-old strike.
 Authoritative labor officials said the board would strive to reach an agreement by Monday to reopen the strike bound Milwaukee plant. If 1t doesn't, they said, the case would be referred to President Roosevelt for whatever action he deems ne-- cessary.
 This procedure reportedly was agreed upon late yesterday at three-and-a-half hour meeting be- wteen MT. Roosevelt and the cab- inet.
 If the case Is sent to the White House, one official said. We have assurances that action would not be long delayed"
 The president told his press con- N~wn.a.~ ..mats.wAaw. that thn Allie