Evening star., 1946-10-30
Truman Advised
Coal Contract
May Be Opened
OfficioIS Says Everyone
But Krug Feels Lewis
Is on Firm Ground
By james Y. Newton

President Truman has been
advised. that the Governments
wage agreement with the United
Mine Workers can be reopened
as demanded by John L. Lewis
in conferences beginning Friday.
A top Federal official declared
that everybody in Government"
except Secretary of Interior Krug
and his assistants thought that Mr..
Lewis was on firm ground in asking
that the present contract be opened
up for discussion of new wage rates
and other issues. 1t is said that the
Justice. Department, which has been
studying the Government agreement,
leans to that view also although an
official opinion has not been given.
1t was obvious that things were
shaping up at the White House and
elsewhere in Government in a way
to prove embarrassing to Secretary
Krug, who still is in the midst of an
inspection trip in the Far West.
Basis of Invitation.
Mr.. Krug's invitation to the mine
workers to meet Friday with Navy
Capt. N. H. COLLISION, coal mines
administrator, has been accepted by
Mr.. Lewis. But that acceptance
was on different basis from what
the Secretary intended.
Mr.. Krug, in statements to re-
porters in California, has made it
clear that his invitation was to talk
about the miners grievances under
the present contract and possible
minor changes. He did not intend
the invitation as a reopening of the
whole contract, including wage pro-
visions, as Mr.. Lewis interpreted 1t.
Federal officials outside of the IN
terror Department are said to be
convinced that the clause in the
preamble of the Government soft
coal contract to the effect that it
covers for the period of Govern
ment possession ." does not
amend and supersede the To-day
reopening provision of the l945 con-
tract with private operators.
Warning From Industry.
Mr.. Krug contends that it does
supercede the l945 provision and
that it was the intent of both Mr.
Lewis and himself at the time the
present agreement was signed last
May 20 that it was to last until the
Government returned the seized
mines to the owners.
NKan
warned that If the Government
negotiated new wage contract. it
would be much more difficult" to
restore the mines to private opera
ton. ...s
The warning came from John D.
Battle, executive secretary of the
National Coal Association, which
speaks for the majority of biturni-
nous products.
Mr.. Battles statement said:
In the light of the confusion that
exists at this time with respect to
the bituminous coal mining industry
and the conflicting reports regard
ing the forthcoming negotiations be-
tween the Government and the
union. it is obvious that If the Gov
ernment porceeds to make new
agreement with the union it will
result in making it much more diff
ficult for the coal mine owners to
get together with the union on COL
lective bargaining agreement look
ing toward the return of the mines
to private operations.
Reopening Debated.
The question of whether the Gov
ernment's existing agreement with
Mr.. Lewis can be reopened still was
being debated. At the Justice De-
partment, where the contract is be-
ing analyzed, press officer told re-
porters that Attorney General Clark
has not made formal ruling on the
point
Presidential Press Secretary
Charles G. Ross told a news confer
ence today that he had no COM
ment on a published report that
Mr. Clark had disagreed with Mr..
Krug's position. He also said that
President Truman probably would
wait until after the election to make
any statement on the future of the
Wage Sterilization Board which the