The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-29
49, 900 Coal Miners
Plan Walkout Friday
CONTINUED from Page u

After branding the walkoUts rs
strikes against the government It.
self, Mr., Roosevelt's message con-
tlnued:
'These strikes are . direct inter-
ference with the prosecution Of the
war. They challenge the government
tai machinery that has been set up
for the orderly and peaceful settle
ment Of ell labor disputes. They
challenge the power Of the govern
ment 10 carry on the war.
Llkened 10 Defeat
1.-THE continuance and spread Of
these strikes would have the same
effect on the course OF the war rs
Q Gripping defeat In the field,
1.-THE production Of coal must
continue. without coal our war In
duStries cannot produce tanks, guns
and ammunition for our armed
forces. without these weapons our
sailors on the high seas and our
armies In the field will be helpless
against our enemies.
''I am sure that the men who
work In the coal mines, whose son
and brothers are In the armeu
forces, do not want TO retard the
war effort 10 which they have con-
tTibuted 30 loyalty and In which
they with al other Americans have
20 much Ut stake.
mot as presldent-not as COM
mander In chlef-but as the friend
Of the men who work In the coal
mines, ] appeal to them TO resume
work Immediately and submit their
case 10 the National War Labor
Board for Slnsl determination.
II have confidence In the patri.
otIsm Of the miners. ] am sure that
when they realize the effect that
stopping work ut this time will have
upon our boys ct the front, they VIII
return to their jobs,
'sThe enemy will not walt while
strikes and stoppages run tneW
course, Therefore, II work ut the
mines Is not resumed by 10 o'clock
saturday morning, ! shall use ell
the power vested In me as president
and as commander In chief OF the
army and navy to protect the ma
tlonai interest and to prevent tur.
Their interference with the success"
full prosecution Of the war"
May Send Soldiers
II Lewis snubs the presidents or.
ders. as he has the War labor
Boards observers believed Il likely
shot Mr. R0og,velt would send SOL
diers into the coal fields 70 proeect
miners willing TO work.
Secretary OF War Henry I. Stlm.
son, at @ press conference touay.
REFUSED to answer q question as 70
whether the army has made any
nlang for taking the mines over.
The president read his telegram
at the opening o "a special press
conference, called TO permit him 20
give an account OF his trip. He SAID
that the message had been trans
mitted at 1880 @. m. to Lewis ~ the
Hotel Biltmore and Kennedy at the
Hotel Roosevelt in New York City. !.
He recounted that the case had
been certified to the War LABOR
board and that the mine workers
failed to recommend a panel menu
Der to investigate the facts.
He asserted that the boards APP
Monument of David b. Robertson
a. the Brotherhood Of Locomotive
Firemen and Enginemen to repre-
sent the employees, Walter White for
the operators ami Morris L. Cooke
for the public assured an impartial
Investigation Of the facts" for the
boards determination Of the con-
troversy.
Demands Certain
The controversy has reached the
stage where congressional demands
for restrictive labor laws are certain
TO rise. The house is In recess UNI
I'll next week, but Sen. Tom Con-
nalIy, D.. Tex. Is expected to seek
unanimous consent Of the senate
today to consider his bill which
would permit the government to
seize any war plant or mine closed
because Of q labor dispute.
Events In the 2 l-2 month wage
dispute moved quickly toward q
climax during the last II hours-a