Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-04-28
WEDNESDAY,
Coal Strike Looms


The ultimatum which John L.
Lewis has delivered to the Federal
Government in behalf of the United
Mine Workers virtually precludeS
q any hope of a peaceful settlement of
this issue. Mr.. Lewis, possibly with
extensive support in his union, has
taken the position that the miners
are not amenable to Government
control-that their dispute with the
operators must be settled on terms
which he approves and under con-
ditions which he dictates.
This is the effect of the letter
which the UNIV Policy Committee,
at Mr.. Lewis behest, has sent to
Secretary of Labor Perkins. In this
letter the War Labor Board, set up by
the President to handle all wage dis
putes, is roughly brushed aside as the
pawn of designing politicos." Mr..
Lewis demands that the coal opera
tors, who came to Washington at the
boards request, be ordered back to
New York at once to resume direct
negotiations with the miners. And,
he adds, unless this is done sit is
perfectly reasonable to assume" that
the mine workers will not "treSpaSS"
upon the properties of the coal oper-
ators after their contract expires on
April 80. This, both in effect and
intent, is as fragrant defiance of the
Government as this country has
witnessed in many long day.
What is the Government going to
do about it? If a general strike in
the coal industry becomes effective
over the week end, and the fact that
some $4,000 miners already have left
their jobs indicates that this will be
the case, how are the Nations war
plants to get the coal which they
must have to carry on? That this
will be matter of the most pressing
concern is shown by the notice from
Irving S. Olds, chairman of the
United States Steel Corporation, that
a coal strike would force the steel
industry to close down within two
weeks. If the miners strike, what
can the Government do in two weeks
to get them back into the pits?
1t has been suggested, first, that
the President might go over the head
Of Mr.. Lewis and appeal directly to
the miners on grounds of patriotism
to return to work. Second, it is also
proposed that troops be sent into the
mining communities to protect those
who want to work. But what If the
miners should remain deaf to an
appeal from the President and in
different to the presence of troops?
In this event, which seems not at all
unlikely, the problem of getting the
coal mined would remain unsolved.
But does that mean that the Nation
would be helpless?
This question would have to be
answered in the affirmative unless
the Government is prepared to face
the seemingly unacceptable conclusion
that Mr.. Lewis and the United Mine
Workers have more power over the
life of the Nation than can safely
be lodged in the hands of any minor
ity group. If the miners are prepared
to stand behind Mr. Lewis, he has the
power to bring about a collapse of
this country's war effort. In such
circumstances it would seem that
this power ought to be curtailed or
taken away by law, and if Mr.. Lewis
goes through with his threat to shut
down the coal mines the real ques-
ton confronting the Government
will be whether this is the time for
taking that drastic but seemingly
unavoidable step.