The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-04


Actually, the mine operators
made no proposals or counter-of-
ferS to John L. Lewis. For one
solid month they sat, in effect
telling Lewis:
you may not like it, John,
but this time you have to 60
before the War Labor Board"
The War Labor Board was the
last body the big miner wanted to
appear before. There were sew
eral reasons. First some of the
labor members of the Board are
old personal enemies of his. Sec
ond, he has strongly suspected
Will Davis, WLB chairman, and
public member Wayne Morse, of
the University Of Oregon, of be-
ing out to get him.
Finally, he knew that ex-senator
Ed Burke of Nebraska, attorney
for the southern operators, was a
bitter foe of FDR's and was sus-
pected, rightly or wrongly, OF
wanting a strike. Many of the
operators individually were quite
willing to grant some concessions
to the United Mine Workers; but
as group they figured it was
good strategy to sit tight
and pass the buck on to Lewis old
enemies on the War Labor Board.
FDR VS.. JOHN L.
Thus personalities - not ex-
GLIDING the old. bitter enmity
between Lewis and Roosevelt per-
sonally played the most i'm
portant role backStage in bringing
on the coal crisis.
Possibly the mine operators might
not have been SO recalcitrant If
they had not received a tip at
the very start Of negotiations a
month ago that the dispute would
be sent to the War Labor Board
anyway. This tip came In the
form of telegram from the Presi-
dent himself, to both sides, urg-
ing a speedy, peaceful settlement
and warning that the War Labor
Board would be called In if neces-
sary.
When Secretary of Labor Per-
kins read this telegram she i'm
mediately saw the implication,
and blew up. 1t was bad strategy,
she felt, for the President to
intervene so early in dis
pute. Also she knew the Oper-
atOrs would take this as the tip
off to stage a Shutdown until the
dispute could be referred on to
the War Labor Board.
So, calling in WLB Chairman
Will Davis, the man credited with
drafting the telegram, she lost no
time conveying her feelings.
you've put the boss on the
spot" she accused Davis. "You
should know better than to get
mixed up in this right now. The
time for him to step in is after
all other avenues have failed
not BEFORE"
Fixing Davis with a critical eye,
she added
"Will, you're too excited over
this case"
Davis countered that this was
wartime and it was necessary to
bring all possible pressure ON both
Lewis and the operators for
quick settlement without letting
the case drag on for weeks. He
added that Lewis should not be
given special treatment" but
handled like any other labor
leader.
Eyes, you say you treat him
like other labor leaders, but you
DON'T" shot back Miss Perkins
you're always putting him on
a pedestal, singing him out as a
special figure. This telegram
proves it,"
DAVIS IRKED
Irked by the needing, Davis
replied: THAT not true. / have
only one thought In mind. 1 want
to save my country from a serious
strike"
"Well, il you mean that, you
are proceeding in the wrong
way" responded Miss Perkins.
The WLB chairman challenged
this, but Madame Secretary closed
the argument.
Forget it, WILL" she said.
This Is a battle of nerves and
John L. Lewis seems TO have got
your goat"
Meantime, in New York, the
negotiations between Lewis and
hn
nowhere fast. The operators had
interpreted the Presidents tele-
gram to mean he would have no
objections If the case went to the
War Labor Board, and they were
standing pat, hoping for this de-
velopment. They felt sure that
by Its past precedents, the Board
would refuse wage increases.
The President. therefore, sent a