Evening star., 1946-02-04
Truman Begins
New Drive 10
End Steel Strike
Confers With Murray
And SchweIIenbuch:
= Will See BowIes
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

"AeAA ASSA Sc@Ay Va 1oUOL OCIlWC4-
lenbach and CIO President
Philip Murray today, opening a
drive to end the industry-para-
lying steel strike this week.
Both were hurriedly summoned to
the White House, but neither would
comment directly on the half-hour
meeting upon leaving, referring all
questions to the President. Secretary
Schwellenbach's only remark to
newsmen was:
"We came out smiling"
Mr.. Murray said: The President
asked me to come over to talk with
him about the steel situation" He
would not elaborate.
Will See BowIes Again.
White House aides announced
that Mr.. Truman would confer again
with Price Administrator Chester
Bowles at $3.50 o'clock this afternoon,
presumably on the steel price situa-
ton. Mr.. Bowles talked with the
President for nearly an hour Satur-
day.
Mr.. Murray, who heads the strik-
ing United Steel Workers, went into
a huddle with officials of the union
Immediately upon returning to his
Office from the White House. He
met with Van A. Bittner, Clinton S.
Golden and David Mcdonald, steel
worker leaders, but all were silent as
to the reason for the session.
Mr.. Schwellenbach said he did not
know whether the President had any
plans to call in President Benjamin
F. Fairless for a talk. Earlier, the
White House expected to announce
today complete plans for a new con-
ference of industrial leaders which
1t was hoped would lead to settle
ment of the strike in steel and per-
haps other big industries.
Advisers of Mr.. Truman said 1t
had not been decided definitely
whether the meeting would be re-
stricted to the steel problem alone
or would be opened up to include
representatives of other industries
as well. One official said he favored
a meeting with United States Steel
Corp. executives only, after making
certain they had authority to COM
NIT big Steel" on wages and prices
The steel strike entered it's third
week and there was evidence on all
sides that it would be climatic one.
Settlement Sought This Week.
The walkout already has cut deep
ly into operations Of plants de-
pendent upon steel and the num-
Der of plants shutting down was
expected to SNOWFALL each day the
strike Is continued. officials said
action to end the strike this week
Is imperative.
President Truman plans to leave
the Capital next Monday for a two
week fishing cruise off Florida and
this intensified activity to settle the
strike. 1t was held likely he would
change his plans if the industrial
crisis is not eased by that time.
White House advisers even pro-
fessed uncertainty whether or not
labor representatives would be in
cluded in the conference. This
would not seem to be necessary in
the case Of steel since the President
has committed himself as recon-
mending an 1872 cents an hour
wage increase for the CIo United
Steel Workers.
Murray Remains Here.
Despite this situation, Mr.. Murray
is staying in Washington instead of
returning to strike headquarters in
Pittsburgh. An aide said he is
sticking around to see what the
administration is going to do"
Mr.. Fairless was here Satur-
day. A spokesman for the company
indicated he had returned to New
York although his movements as US
ual on Capital visits were veiled in
secrecy.
Top Federal officials continued
their study of the steel price situa-
ton and also were giving thought to
possible changes in Government
wage-price policy generally.
When the leaders of the steel in
dustry are called in, one OF. the Off
cials said, they would be given a fiat
and final figure as to the price in
crease that will be allowed. That
figure now would appear to be 81 a
ton or above, contingent upon the
industry's meeting the 1917 cents an
hour demand of the workers.
We're trying our best to get a
steel price formula that will get
lot Of steel production" said one
White House official. He added that
his optimism over the settlement
outlook had risen since last week.
Speculation as to size of the price
(See LABOR. Page ALL