Evening star., 1943-06-25

Senator Connally, Democrat, of
Texas, co-author of the bill, arose
the minute the clerk finished
reading Mr.. Rooseyelt's message
and declared:
"Mr. President, am sorely dis
appointed. The Senate is sorely
disappointed The House of Rep
resentatives is disappointed, and
the people of the United States,
l am sure, are sorely disap-
pointed.
Every soldier ana every sailor on
the sea and in the air is disappointed.
The President has right to veto
bill, but the Senate also has right
to pass bill over his veto"
AS he took his seat he called for
the vote. Senator Hatch, Democrat,
of New Mexico broke in momentarily
to say that in view of the efforts
the House and Senate made to agree
on the terms of the bill. he wanted
to join the Texan in calling for a
record vote.
President Roosevelt in his veto
message declared the anti-strike
bill contains provisions which have
no place in legislation to prevent
strikes in wartime and which. in
fact. would foment slowdowns and
strikes"
The bill which had been assailed
by labor as fascist" and had been
condemned by other opponents as
an attempt to cruelty labor" was
spurred through Congress as the re-
suit OF the coal strikes. It provides
criminal penalties for those who
foment strikes III industries oper-
ated by the Government.
The President declared that he is
"unalterably opposed to strikes in
wartime" and he added that, Il do
not hesitate to use the power to
prevent them"
Asks Draft Legislation.
AS an alternative to the anti
strike bill, the President called on
Congress to enact legislation raising
the induction age for non-com-
oatant military service up to IS
years. He had announced 48 hours
ago that he would take this step
both to deal with the eventuality of
another coal strike or with the tie
up OF any other industry which the
Government has taken over as a
war measure.
The President praised some por-
tions of the bill, among them that
section which makes it a criminal
offense to aid a strike in Govern
ment-operated war plant.
He said that if the bill was limited
TO these objectives which he
enumerated that he would sign it.
He interjected, however. that while
this proposal to punish by criminal
prosecution would make possible the
arrest of few leaders and might
also have deterrent effect lit would
not assure continuance of war pro-
duction in the most critical emer-
gencies."
Outlines Opposition.
The provisions to which he OBJ
Jected and on which he based his
veto were explained by the Presi-
dent as follows:
Section 8 requires the represents
ative of employees of a war con-
tractor to give notice of labor dis
pute which threatens seriously to
interrupt war production to the
Secretary of Labor, the National
War Labor Board and the National
Labor Relations Board in order to
give the employees the opportunity
to express themselves by secret
ballot whether they will permit such
interruption of war production.
1T would force a labor leader
who is trying to prevent strike
IN accordance with his no-strike
pledge to give the notice which
would cause the taking of a strike
ballot and might actually precipi-
tate strike.
Says 1t Ignores Labor's Pledge.
"In wartime we cannot sanction
strikes with or without notice.
Section 8 further makes it man.
datory that the NLRB on the sOth
day after the giving of the notice
take secret ballot among the en-
ployes in the plants, mines, facili-
ties, bargaining unit or bargaining
units as the case may be, on the
question of whether they will stop
work. This requirement would open
the whole controversy over bar
gaining units a fruitful source of
controversy and of bitter jurisdic-
tional strife.
Section B ignores completely
labor's 'no-strike' pledge and pro-
See ANu-sTRIKE BILL, Page OK.