Evening star., 1942-08-19
Army 10 Take Over
Woods Machine Co.
Plant at Boston
President Directs Action
For Refusal to Comply
With Contract Ruling

President Roosevelt ordered
Secretary of War Stimson today
to take possession Of the S. A.
Woods Machine Co. plant of
South Boston, Mass, which has
refused to comply with an order
of the War Labor Board. The
plant has Army contracts for
making munitions.
Shortly after the order was is
sued, Robert P. Patterson, acting
Secretary of War, directed Mai.
Ralph F. Cow of the Boston ord
nance district to take possession of
the plant.
In a statement explaining the
action, Mr.. Patterson said failure
OF the company's officials to obey
the WLB order has created a Sc
rious threat to the production of
vital war material which it manu-
factures."
mo company and no labor organ
lzation can be. permitted to defy
the mandate OF this impartial tribu-
nal,' Mr.. Patterson asserted.
Action Was Expected.
The Presidents action was ex-
pected. The direction to the Secre-
tary of War was contained in an
executive order timed 10:4O am. and
calling immediate War Department
action.
Wayne L. Morse, Of the War Labor
Board, referred the matter to the
White House late yesterday after the
2 pm. deadline set by the WLB
passed without the companys COM
pling with the order. The WLB
order, first issued 20 days ago, di-
rected union maintenance and arbi-
tration Of labor disputes.
Four Requests Made.
The War Labor Board sent H, B.
Dodge, president of the company,
four requests to comply with the
order before Mr.. Dodge notified the
WLB shortly before 2 pm. yester-
day that he would not comply.
The Presidents executive order
said that possession and operation
shall be terminated by the Presi-
dent as soon as he determines that
the plant of the S. A. Woods Ma
chine Co. at South Boston, Mass,
will be privately operated in a man
ner consistent with the war effort"
The company had sought to have
the case settled in court. The Presi-
dent ordered seizure under authority
vested in him "by the Constitution
and laws of the United States, as
President of the United States and
commander in chief of the Army and
Navy of the United States"
He made no reference to author
ity given him under the War Powers
Act.
Action Second Within Week.
1t was the second time within a
week and the seventh time during
the current national emergency
that the Government had exercised
its power to take over a private
industry.
Last Friday the President ordered
the Navy to seize the plant of the
General Gable Corp. at Bayonne,
N. j., after the employees struck in
protest against labor board de- |
cision against their demands for a
wage increase.
The War Labor Boards final re-
quest to the machine firm brought
a reply reaff1rming the company's
expressed attitude.
"Wp rpUrpt fhof van ore
10 deny us a court test of your
powers" said the company's state
nent. Neither union maintenance
Tor compulsory arbitration have
anything to do with production in
our plant. Production in our plant
S in no wise jeopardized by the
If threatened it will
oe only as the result of your de-
,ision."
At the same time the firm told
he board it would cooperate in
production ito the fullest extent
u.s." whether or not the
Government took over the plant.
Employees of the Cable Co. voted
unanimously last night for a reso-
ution pledging them not to inter-
'upt production again 'for any
eason" during the war They asked
hat the plant be returned to pri-
ate management.
At Pittsburgh, committeeman of
he CIO Aluminium Workers Union
'athered to discuss a report of their
PRESIDENT that union members were
lrging general strike In the war
ssential aluminium industry. They
we're described by their leader as
lispleased with q WLB decision
which denied them a wage increase
(See WOODS, Page A-I6J