The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-05
President to Broadcast Appeal to Coal Miners
ToAddress Men Sunday o:3O PM.
Wheeler Asserts Crisis Tougher Thon Any Others

dSUltlkOOtls DcSs w President Truman on Sum day night will address the na- tion on the soft coal strike which, the Government said today, has brought the coun- try to "the very brink of eco- homie paralysis"
 The white House announced that the President, entering the arena of the coal crisis publicly for the first time, will make . fun-oress broadcast to the people ct 0:S0 P. M. CEST Sunday.
 If the coal strike has not ended hy that time-and there were no indications 1t would be-the Presi- dent will go over the head of John l.. Lewis and ask the miners to go back to work.
 Near Brink Of Paralysis
 The Solid Fuels Administration, meanwhile, said the l5-day-old mine shutdown "has placed this nation at the very brink of economic paral- ysis and threatens unprecedented hardship and suffering during the Winter"
 President Truman's decision tO speak out publicly after remaining silent during the first IS days of the strike .fnde-scored the gravity of the situation described by Dep- uty Solid Fuels Administrator Dan H. Wheeler.
 In a communication to 6 state governors. Wheeler called on them to take the most stringent meas ures to conserve coal immediately"
 Wheeler asserted that the fuel crisis is far more serious even than those caused by coal strikes during the war. He said that aevery cozn- munity is faced with the possibility of having insufficient coal to pre- serve it's health"
 Alerted Against Hoarders
 He told authorities to alert them selves against coal hoarders. Such hoarding. he said, can be dealt with under the penalty provisions of the Second War Powers Act.
 President Truman decided to ap- peal to the people after Govern ment efforts to break the strike by resort to the courts had been re- buffed by an angry Lewis and his United Mine Workers (A.FL)
 The unions response to the 0ov- ernment's legal assault was to dig in for an all-out fight in the courts and a bitter-end strike in the coal fields.
 Convicted of contempt Of court for flouting an order to cancel the walkout of 100000 soft coal miners. the UNIV. was fined Ss,500,00O and Lewis siO.O00 by Judge T. Alan Goldsborough yesterday.
 They will appeal to the Supreme Court.
 To Speak % AIinutes
 White House press secretary Charles c. Ross said President Tru- man will speak over all networks Sunday for baout % minutes. His address, Ross said, will concern ''the situation growing out of the coal strike"
 What the President says will de- pend almost entirely on the status Of the coal crisis at the time he speaks. Ross said Mfr. Truman has not started the actual drafting of his speech, but is thinking about if very hard" He said the President would take more than % minutes fl necessary.
 Beween now and Sunday night Mir. Truman is expected to consult frequently with Attorney General Tom Clark, Secretary of Interior q A. Krug and the presiGential staff
 The last time Mir. TyAman stepped into an industrial crisis with a na- dio address, he addeessed congrea, and broadcast to the nation at tlif same time. That was when hg voiced determination to use troops if necessary. to end iaAt June's par alyzing railroad strike
 Previous Appeals Vailed
 As the President spoke on tlaa1 occasion, announcement was mad that the strike had endkd.
 There was no indication that an such announcement would be forth looming to interrupt the Presidentl speech this time.
 Back-to-work appeals and Cor ders" directed to the miners by kh| late President Roosevelt durin| strikes in l04s were a notable faiI Ilre. Lewis and the miners iGn0ke| them and the union president fH fused even to appear before tA war labor board until congress ga4 it power of suhpenA.
 President Tralnanis declaion enter the arena publicly i1 an 1I fort to cope with the fuel cFazig <A not, it was said. indicate aN change in the GOveEnment's 1s# kaeffcs aaatnak IeWtn and 4713