Evening star., 1941-10-31
Two-Week Truce

In the interest OF Jne ndClOndl Qe-
fense program, it is gratifying that
a tentative agreement has been
worked out under which the pro-
duction of coal in the captive"
mineS-the source of fuel essential
to the steel industry-is to be re-
Sumed. But the mere fact that John
L. Lewis has consented to a two
week truce does not mean that the
basic issues in this dispute have
been settled.
1t is important that the record be
kept straight. Mr.. Lewis called the
strike to enforce a demand for a
union shop in the mines although
panel of the National Defense Medi-
alton Board refused to recommend
that a union shop be granted. Three
appeals from the President for
resumption of work were ignored or
rejected by Mr.. Lewis. At one stage
of the negotiations the steel mill
operators consented to submit the
question to the Mediation Board for
arbitration and agreed to be bound
by the findings. Mr. Lewis rejected
this procedure. He denounced the
board as being "lackadaisical to the
point of indifference" in handling
the dispute.
Now the matter comes back to the
whole board for a specific recon-
mendation for or against the union
shop, but, at the behest of the Presi-
dent, this is to be done with the
understanding that neither party is
committed in advance to the accept
ance of the final recommendations"
Thus, it would seem that the terms
of this tentative settlement are high
ly favorable to Mr.. Lewis. The mill
operators, having Signified their will
ingness to be bouno by arbitration,
can hardly refuse to accept the
recommendation if the full Mediation
Board decides to overrule its panel
on the union shop question. But
Mr.. Lewis, having agreed to nothing,
retains his freedom of action if the
boards proposal should be unfayor-
able to him In the light of the
stipulation made by the President,
there would be nothing but the force
of public opinion to prevent him
from calling another strike in the
captive mines.
In the procedure followed in this
case, there is no indication of de-
termined stand by the administra-
ton against organizational strikes in
defense industries On the contrary,
should the board finally return a
recommendation in Mr.. Lewis favor,
it may be expected to act as a stimu-
luS to such strikes by tending to
confirm the prevailing impression
that labor has everything to gain
and nothing to lose by use of the
strike weapon.
At some stage of the game, the
President and the members OF Con-
gress will have to come to grips with
the strike evil. EXpedient devices
may result in temporary gains, but
in the long run they merely serve to
make a real solution more difficult.
With respect to our enemies abroad,
this Government has adopted a firm
and determined policy Shooting
orders have been issued to the Navy
in the Atlantic. A million and a half
men have been called into the Army
for training, and their hours are
long; their pay small. All of in
duStry is being herded into line
through priorities and other devices
essential to the requirements of total
defense. Yet labor is allowed to take
the bit in its teeth and run wild.
Certainly, in such a situation, there
is a deep and fundamental element
of unfairneSs which may have dis
astrous repercusSionS on the whole
defense effort unless Congress and
the President make up their minds to
put an end to temporizing and to
deal f0rthrightly with the strike
question. The winning of a two
week truce from Mr. Lewis does not
measure up to this specification.
The keornv N1r,o