Evening star., 1946-05-04
Viewing With Alarm


ident Truman has been anything but
an alarmist The steel strike, the
automobile strike and similar actual
and threatened shutdcwns left him
unperturbed. He has been equally
as calm in the realm of international
affairs, consistently asserting his
confidence that things would work
out all right when, to others, the
outlook was most discoufaging.
Because of this, If for no other
reason, there would seem to be some
special significance in the fact that
Mr.. Truman now says that he views
the coal strike with alarm. There
would seem to be ample reason for
him to be alarmed. The strike is
in its thirty-third day, and dimin-
lsh1ng coal supplies already have
made 1t necessary to plan for a so
per cent cut in railroad passenger
travel, freight embargoes, brownouts
and dlmouts. Industry is beginning
to feel the pinch, plants are closing
down and people are losing en-
ployment.
Certainly, if the strike lasts much
longer the President will have to do
more than view it with alarm; he
will have to act. He has suggested
that he may conclude to treat the
Walkout as strike against the Gov
ernment, but that stage presumably
would be reached only after Govern
ment seizure of the mines and a
refusal by the miners to work for
the Government.
In such situation Mr.. Truman
might attempt to take action under
the punitive sections of the Smith
Connally Act, but if the miners
should simply stay home and refuse
to work they cannot be touched
under the wartime antistrike law.
That would leave no alternative
except to turn to Congress for help.
And what would the President find
there?
Some weeks ago the House passed
the Case bill, designed to outlaw a
few obnoxious union practices. The
Dill then went to the Senate Labor
Committee, which is dominated by
administration Senators, and there
such teeth as it possessed were
promptly pulled. The chairman of
this committee is Senator Murray
OF Montana. Speaking for the ma
jority of the committee with refer
ence to President Truman's request
for the setting up of fact-findine
boards-which would be hopelessly
inadequate to cope with the coal
strike-Mr. Murray conceded that
disputes in public utilities are of
great public concern, and certainly
this is hardly less true OF the dispute
In the coal mines. Nevertheless, Mr..
Murray continued, the committee
was opposed to the use of fact
finding boards, even in public utility
disputes. Why? Because the use
OF such boards would reduce the
pressure OF necessity upon the par
ties to bargain the matter through
to a conclusion" and because the
committee was convinced "of the
undesirability of the use or the in
PRODUCTION of elements OF compulsion
in the settlement of labor disputes"
In other words, it is too bad that
the people have to suffer in some
types of strikes. But it is better
that the people should suffer than
that the Government should do
anything to interfere with the call
ing of strikes.
Obviously, at that time-three
weeks ago-the Senate Labor Com
nllttee was not viewing the coal
strike with alarm. And unless the
President can convince these Sen
ators that the right of $4,000 900
people to have one of the necessities
OF life is superior to the right of
100000 miners to engage in a strike,
he is not likely to get much help
from his own party in the Senate in
the present emergency.