Evening star., 1943-05-17
US. Sovereignty
Defied by Lewis,
WLB Charges
No Plans Revealed
To Avert Threat
Of New Coal Tie-Up
BY the Associated Press.

VI NSW SOUI IIe-Op
BY the Associated Press.
The War Labor Board said to-
day that UNIV President John
L. Lewis has challenged the SOW
ereignty of the United States
and the issue now lis whether
Mr.. Lewis is above and beyond
the laws which apply to all
other citizens of the United
States
The board issued the unanimous
statement after meeting with soft
coal operators, which Mr.. Lewis and
other officers of the United Mine
Workers had been asked to attend
TO make arrangements for resump-
tlon of contract negotiations.
Coupled with this public denuncia-
tion of Mr.. Lewis, the board was
authoritatively reported to have in
structed soft coal operators not to
resume negotiations until further
orders.
Next step IN Doubt.
What steps, if any would be taken
to avert another threatened shut
down of the industry at midnight to-
morrow could not be learned i'm
mediately. The present 15-day truce
under which the mines have been
operating expires then and Mr.. Lewis
has refused to comment on prospect
OF continuing production.
Mr.. Lewis had announced in New
York yesterday that he would not
obey the WLB directive to attend
the meeting today to arrange for 8
renewal Of bargaining, but said he
was ready to meet the operators
when they returned there.
Mr.. Lewis was informed of the
boards statement at the New York
office of the United Mine Workers,
He sent out word through a secre-
tary that he had no comment"
1t was not clear what the boards
next step would be since it lacks
subpoena power and presumably
could not itself institute proceedings
against Mr.. Lewis.
Locals Make Decisions.
At Pittsburgh meanwhile. a union
spokesman said no contract-no
work decisions had been made bv
about 10 per cent" of the UNIV
| locals In Western PENNSYLVANIA s
oltuminous field. One Pennsylvania
local. however, refused to take any
action on the matter OF work
stoppage at its meeting yesterday.
1t was the Gallitzin local. whose
members stayed at work in the only
Pennsylvania mine unaffected by
the walkout two weeks ago.
Fourteen Northern West Virginia
locals also voted not to work at the
expiration of the truce unless a
contract is signed, but elsewhere
there was no word of any action by
the mine workers.
At Birmingham William Mitch.
District 20 president, countered
questions as to whether Alabama's s
$4,000 miners would stop work with
Whats your guess?"
Issue Defined.
The issue now confronting the
Nation in this dispute" the WLB
statement said, "is whether Mr..
Lewis in above and beyond the laws
which apply to all other citizens OF
the United States.
The labor dispute in this case,
| like all other labor disputes, is with
in the jurisdiction of the National
War Labor Board under executive
order 90l7 OF January II, 1912. Un-
der the national policy of economic
stablllzation established by the act
OF Congress of October 2, 1912. and
the Presidents executive order of
October 3 and its supplements. is
sued in accordance with that act of
Congress. if any wage adjustment is
]ustlflable on the merits it must be
approved by the National War Labor
Board. and If it is such as to require
an increase in the price of the prod
uct produced, then it could not be
put into effect until it is also ap-
proved by the director of economic
stabilization.
Established Procedures Defined"
This law applies to the coal
miners and coal operators as well as
to every other citizen of the United
States.
In demanding wage increase
and at the same time refusing to
seek the approval of the National
War Labor Board, Mr. Lewis is defy
ing the lawfully established pro-
cedures of the Government of the
United States.
This is not only defiance Of our
laws, but it is also the only thing
that stands in the way of the work.
ing out of new contract for the
mine workers by orderly peaceful
procedure in accordance with the
order of the National War Labor
Board of May IA, 1943, and the ma
tional stabilization policy under the
act OF Congress of October 2, 1912.
This defiance challenges the
sovereignty of the United States in
(See COAL, Page A-6)