Evening star., 1945-01-13
Strike
Continued From First Page)

downtown Office building early this
morning and informed the confer
ence of the executive order.
The directive was announced in
Washington by Acting Secretary of
War John j. McCloy, who said con-
tinuation Of the strike would jeop-
ardize plans of the Army and Navy
for further offensive operations"
and endanger lives of soldiers over
seas"
Declaring the strike is in violation
OF law and labor's no-strike pledge,
Mr.. McCloy's statement added at
exhibits callous disregard of their
obligations to their country on the
part OF the persons responsible.
Strikers Face Draft.
Col. Lynn, in statement, called
on all employees to return to their
jobs Immediately and warned those
who did not report for work on their
next regular shift would be dis
charged. He also declared that
names Of men holding occupational
deferments who did not report would
be referred to the State director of
seIective service for immediate re-
classification.
The Army seizure, Col. Lynn's
statement said, was necessitated
by the strike of certain employees
of this company which threatened
to disrupt the entire power system
of the city and to cripple the pro-
duction Of the city's vital war plants
and paralyze the community's facil-
titles, including hospitals"
The Army took over after the fruit
less all-night conference between
union leaders and the company.
Mayor Burke said he had appealed
directly to the White House for
Army seizure of facilities. The CEI
earlier sent similar requests to Fed
eral agencies.
Gov. Frank ]. Lausche, former
Cleveland Mayor, announced at Co.
lumbus he would ask immediate in
duction Of occupationally deferred
strikers. -.
Mayor Burke conferred with in
dustrial and union leaders and then
reported the walkout was caused by
the discharge of a single employe
who was unwilling to work a night
shift"
The National War Labor Board at
Washington sent a back-to-work
order late yesterday to Mr.. Palmer
and regional WLB official attend
ed the all-night session. Also at
tending were an Army Service Forces
officer and Harold j. Straub of
Washington, national chairman Of
the CIO-UWOC.
Picket lines paraded before CEI
power plants in Cleveland, Avon and
Ashtabula. which generate electric
ity for 357 900 domestic, commercial
and industrial users along 100 miles
of Lake Erie shoreline. Also picket
ed were two Cleveland Steamboat
ing plants, supplying 633 downtown
buildings.
Although union leaders declined to
comment on issues in the dispute,
unionists on the picket lines dis
played a mimeographed nine-point
list labeled: Issues involved in the
present work stoppage at the Gel
Co."
Sought 7-Cent Hourly Raise.
Included was demand for a Z
cent hourly wage raise, previously
rejected by both the regional and
national WLB.
Mr.. McCloy asserted the strike
was called without warning and de-
clared there had been no attempt
on the part of the workers to ne
gotiate their dispute through any
of the many avenues of Govern
ment available to them"
The acting Secretary called on
striking workers to return to their
jobs "at once" declaring it was
their solemn obligation"
If the strike continues, Mr.. Nc
Cloy said, it would jeopardize plans
of the Army and Navy for further
offensive operations" and endanger
lives of soldiers overseas who are
dependent for essential equipment
on the many war plants in the
Cleveland area which would be
forced to close for lack of power.
w. T. Holiday, president of the
Standard Oh Co. of Ohio, warned