Evening star., 1943-10-30
President toAct
In MineCriisiis;
Strike Spreads
Governments Move
Hinges on Decision
Of UNIV Officials
Tert OF Roosevelt Dauis letters on
Page At.

eTL OJ fOOSeDeLt-DdDS letters on
Page At.
In the face of a presidential
threat ito take whatever steps
are necessary to see that coal is
mined" rebellious members of
the United Mine Workers today
continued the trek from the
shafts that started II days ago
as the outgroWth of their long
standing wage controversy. 1t
was estimated 10000 men were
idle.
In letter last night to Chairman
William H. Davis of the War Labor
Board, who had advised him for
mally of the spreading wildcat
strikes, President Roosevelt said:
I am watching the situation care
fully and shall not hesitate to take
whatever steps are necessary to see
That coal is mined. We are short
OF coal to meet our war needs. We
can no more tolerate the letting
down of coal production than we
can tolerate letting down of the
shipping of supplies to our fighting
men"
Walkouts Continue.
A little later the Associated Press
reported that 300 more miners in
Mcdowell County w. Va, had gone
out, bringing to $500 the number Of
idle men in "a bituminous operations
IN eight counties of that State. At
the same time 240 men in Marion
County mine voted to quit work at
midnight tonight-a move that was
looked on as forerunner of similar
action elsewhere in the area.
Pennsylvania had begun to feel
the pinch for the first time. While
steel mills reported stocks for 6 to II
days. it was said some operations
! would have to be curtailed earlier
if it appeared the strike would be
protracted. since coal would have to
be conserved to keep furnaces going.
Steel mills in Alabama, where the
strike started, faced further closures,
and Charles B. Gamble. president
OF the Birmingham Gas Co. tele-
graphed Mr.. Roosevelt that only an
immediate resumption of work in
the mines would assure that area
OF continuous supply of by-product
gas used by hundreds of plants as
fuel and in thousands of homes for
heating and cooking.
Won't Act Until Monday,
Mr.. Roosevelt told Chairman
Davis that he would not take de
cisive action" until after the meet
ing here Monday of the UNIV Policy
Committee. The session was called
by UNIV President John L. Lewis
to pass on the latest wage proposal
of the WLB-a proposal that al
ready has been attacked by Mr..
Lewis as entailing a cut in the
miners basic wage Of ST day.
At the same time, Mr.. Roosevelt
appealed to the miners indirectly
to disregard any of their leaders
who counsel against the War Labor
Boards recommendations, saying:
/ Certainly in wartime, the miners
Will not take the position that thev
Will sign no contract other than one
dictated by their leaders. We are at
war, and all of us must make sacri-
tlces for our common good and COM
mon safety"
Takes Issue With Lewis.
! The President also took issue with
Mr.. Lewis report to his membership
that the WLB's decision shaving the
terms of the proposed Illinois mine
wage agreement (Which the UNIV
wanted applied to the whole indus
try) meant a decrease in hourly
rates.
/ Mr.. Roosevelt touched on the
patriotism note in concluding his
letter to Mr.. Davis:
i L am confident that when the
patriotic American miners realize
the substantial increase in benefits
the boards proposal offers them
they will not reject the opportunity
TO secure contract.
But if I am mistaken and the
miners do not accept the boards
proposals. I shall take decisive ac-
ton to see that coal is mined"
Mine Seizure Implied.
The threat of presidential inter-
vention presumably carried the i'm
plication of Government seizure of
the mines once more. If this were
done, it then would be possibly to
apply the sanctions of the antistrike
law against the strikers.
Y The Government first took control
OF the industry on May l. and turned
the mines back to their owners early
this month. Mr.. Lewis had set to-
morrow midnight as the deadline
beyond which the miners would nos
work without a new contract.
Meanwhile, spokesmen for the
Northern and Southern Appalachian
producers and the Central Penn
'sylvania operators said Federal sta
tistics showed that in August the
average income of the miners was
tSee COAL, Page A-2)
Radnn|in Dave Fret Welt