Evening star., 1946-01-28
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.

BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.
The Government will make
IAN out-in- -the-open move" in
the next three or four days." a
high official said today, to end
the week-old strike of 100000
CIO United Steel Workers, which
daily is causing the laying off of
additional thousands in depend
ent manufacturing industries.
While the official refused to out
line Government strategy specifical-
ly, 1t was indicated the move"
would come from the White House
and would be in the form of another
conference either with heads of sew
eral big steel companies or with
executives of the United States Steel
Corp. alone.
In the event conference is called,
officials will make certain that in
dustry representatives participating
in it have the authority to commit
their company or companies on
wages. Benjamin F. Fairless, presi-
dent OF United States Steel, rejected
President Truman's proposal for set
tlement of wage differences with
the CIO after comforting with other
executives in New York about 10
days ago.
Officials at United States Steels
Washington office said Mr.. Fairless
was expected here some time this
afternoon, although they did not
know the purpose of his visit. Fed
eral officials also disclaimed knowl-
edge OF the reasons for his trip.
7 Sticks by Decision.
Mr.. Truman, meanwhile was de-
scrlbed as sticking by his decision
that the steel workers should re-
Seive wage increase of 18la cents
an hour
The snow-balling effect of the
steel strike on other lines of manu-
facture was illustrated in statements
by officials of the automobile and
automotive parts Industries who said
that nearly quarter of a million
workers may be laid off this week
because of the steel famine. The
auto industry is steels biggest Gus
toner.
Talk of peace in steel developed
here after the announcements that
s21e Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler
Corp. had settled their wage dis
putes with CIO United Auto Work
ers,
The Associated Press quoted an
other unidentified Federal official as
predicting the steel strike would end
within week or So"
He said the industry was divided,
with one group anxious to settle the
strike and the other determined ito
fight it out" He asserted there
were signs the peace group would
prevail ultimately.
Government Action Possible.
Should new attempts to end the
Nations biggest walkout bog down,
1t was believed the Government
would take steps looking toward
seizure of the steel mills in about
week.
Federal officials plans for peace
apparently were hinged on the belief
that sufficient steel price increases
can be allowed to permit the COM
panies to meet the 1872 -cents-an-
hour wage increase. Price relief has
centereo around an increase of 81
ton.
Reports from manufacturing areas
over the country showed that the
Government had little time to lose
in deciding what next to do to
bring the strike to a close.
In Detroit, Frank Rising, general
manager of the Automotive and
Aviation Parts Manufacturers. Inc.
estimated that 100000 workers would
be laid off by the end of the week
as the steel shortage forced the
closing of many automotive parts
plants.
Ford Motor Co. announced Is 400
workers would be laid off this week.
in addition to the layoff of $4,000
last week.
Schedules Cut Back.
Some Industries were cutting back
production schedules to prevent
complete shutdowns and avert lay
offs. In Syracuse. N. Y, the Manu-
facturers' Association reported in
dustries not directly involved in the
strike were shortening the work
week to stretch existing steel stock
piles.
A freight car shortage in the Pitts
burgh area, caused by the hoppers
being tied up at the strike-bound
plants and sidings, forced thousands
of miners into idleness in fluctuatine
shutdowns.
The union maintained token"
picket lines at entrances of steel
mills across the Nation, but for the
aost part the gates were closed and
the plants were not operating.
The strike fields were generally
quiet with only minor disturbances.
At Homestead, Pa, where a Car
negle-I Illinois mill superintendent
charged he was forced into an auto
and taken to the unions local head
quarters, the union said it was all a
misunderstanding by the pickets
over the superintendent's status.
At Gary, Ind, picket lines parted
momentarily yesterday to permit a
Roman Catholic priest and Presby-
terian minister to enter the Carne-
gle Illinois plant to conduct services
for supervisors clad On overalls and
mackinaws.
The men had been in the plant
constantly since start of the strike
last week.
The magazine Steel reported that
the national steelmaking rate
dropped to S per cent of capacity last
week, lowest in the industry's his
tory. Operations were stopped in|
Buffalo, Cleveland, Youngstown and
Birmingham. At Pittsburgh the rate
was 21z per cent of capacity; Chi
cago, AZ per cent; Eastern Pennsyl-
vania, A; Detroit, 81; Cincinnati,
"A; Wheeling, So: st. Louis. ID. and