Evening star., 1943-07-01
Continued From First Page.)

leaders interviewed who said they
did not hear the broadcast in which
Mr.. Ickes said the miners wage
grievance was only one Of numer-
Gus complaints - many Of them
Justified in Washington
and that each Of these special
groups tends to overlook the major
issue, the winning Of the war, to
the immediate interest Of the par
ticular group"
1T may be no comfort to the
miners to know that others. too, are
serving their country under economic
disabilities. but this is the fact
Mr.. Ickes said. "All OF us must
continue to serve until the need
passes, disability or no disability
economically.
In every reference Mr. Ickes made
to failure Of the miners aQd mine
owners to reach settlement, he
carefully avoided laying greater
responsibility on either side. He bore
down especially only on what he
called the small minority who still
attempt to persuade the majority"
of miners to stay away from their
Jobs.
There is no intention on my
part" he said, "to expect a greater
contribution from the miners than
from any other group. On the other
hand, so long as am charged with
the responsibility Of operating the
Nations coal mines I cannot expect
that their contribution shall be less
and that goes FOR the operators
of the mines as well.
THE man who tonight or tomor-
row or next day does not carry his
full share in this country's fight
either does not understand the i'm
mediate crisis that we face. or he
deliberately sabotages in that fight
in the hope that our enemies may
win"
In the next breath Mr.. Ickes made
it clear that he places the strikers
in the first category, asserting, Il
believe it. even though what these
men have done recently has inter-
fered seriously with the smooth
operation Of our war-making ma
chinery."
Not Confined to One Group.
And, I may add. these men are
not alone in that ignorance, nor is
it confined to a single group in our
society,"" he said.
Mr.. Ickes mentioned John L.
Lewis, UNIV president. twice by
name. once in quoting from letter
he said he had received, urging that
the strike be ended by freezing all
union funds and arresting Lewis
and other union leaders for trea-
SON."
The Secretary balanced that quo
tation with excerpts from other let
ters urging that the mines be taken
from the operators and wages raised
The second mention Of Mr.. Lewis
came in Mr.. Ickes' statement that
he had not made any "deap with
the UNIV head or with the op-
orators.
Mr.. Ickes. now busily building an
organization to exercise active SUI
pervision" over mining operations
for the Government for what he
said might be "a considerable
period" declared he would allow
neither mine workers nor mine own
ers to have advantages over the
other.
But, although the War Labor
Board has ruled against the wage
demands of the miners that led to
the three strikes end Government
seizure of the mines. Mr.. 1ckes re-
iterated hope that "a firm under
standing can soon be reached be-
tween the miners and the (private)
operators"
Great Damage to Industry.
There must be an agreement
eventually and the sensible thing
Is to reach one as quickly as pos
sible. d" The lack of good will,
the failure on both sides to proceed
directly and promptly to an agree
ment has done great damage to the
coal industry" he said.
But as Mr.. Ickes spoke approx
mately 200 men from dozen mines
which have been shut down since
the general walkout started June 20
met at Brownsville, Pa, and August
M. Malekovich, president of the
H. c. Prick Coke Co. Bridgeport
local, who acted as chairman, said
they voted to continue on strike
and to attempt to induce miners