The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-04
Miners May Ignore
 Back-To-Work Order
53O,O00 Strikers Want Lewis to Have Final Word; Showdown Between Union President and Roosevelt

mained adamant in their mo con- tract-no work" stand.
 MT. Roosevelt, speaking as the commanderin chief, issued the re- -to-Work order late yesterday and cautioned the strikers to end their defiance of the government of the United States"
 During the last work stoppage, the President also called the men back to work, but they did not re- sume production until Lewis gave the order. But this time Lewis was silent, and many of his UNIV leaders said the men would follow him in a showdown for an equit- able contract with mine operators.
 Other local union officials said some miners would not go back to work, even if ordered by Lewis, unless they received assurance Of contract
 The indicated refusal to accept MT. Roosevelt's order particularly was noticeable in the two largest coal producing states-West Virginia and Pennsylvania which provide more than half of the nations'S coal supply.
 The miners sentiment over the general situation was expressed by William Parks, UNIV district board member in the JohnstoWn, Penn, area.
 q don't find any response" he said. "The men won't pay atten- tion to the order. They are de- termined on contract. They are simply sore"
 James LeCourre, Houtsdale, Penn, also a member of District 2, said the men "are more determined this time to have contract than ever in the history of the UMWA as far as I know"
 "They can't live on promises" he added. "The governments taking over the coal mines is a sham. There have been no inspections, no checks. It is too bad at time like this but what are we going to do about it. We might as well have the showdown now"
 Tn the center of Pennsylvanias vast bituminous. field near Union town, several miners expressed open defiance of the Presidents order even to the possible use of troops.
 "Troops?" one of the men said. Why just bring them in here and see what happens. And you can also tell any scabs who start back to work to watch out"
 John Karscur, employed at the Hilbert mine of the H. c. Prick Coke Co.,, charged that If Roose- welt forces us back he'll be a dic- tator."
 And those guys on the War La bor Board" he said, Why they never did days work in their lives while John L. Lewis started out in the coal mines"
 Union officials throughout the rest of the coal producing states also re- ported that their men would not work without orders from Lewis.
 At Springfield, H., Hugh White, vice-president of the UNIV in Illi- nois, said that President Roose- velt's order won't send many of Illinois 23,OOO UNIV members back to work Monday"
 In Ohio, the states 25000 UNIV members were awaiting word from Lewis before returning to the pits. The situation was the same in In- diana.
 There was no reaction, however, by union officials to draft reclassi- fication orders by the governors of Tennessee and Alabama.
 Coy. Prentice Cooper of Tennes- see specifically ordered all striking coal miners of draft age to be re- classified. The order by Governor Chauncey Sparks referred to "all men with occupational deferrents" who do not return to work by 3 p. m. today.