Evening star., 1946-11-27
Deal With Lewis Won't {
Sit Well With Public
Miners Leader Sought to Force
Contract With Operators
Bv Dapid Lavrence

bp DNcJd Laurence
Talk OF deals and compromises has
filled the air for several days as one
way out OF the coal crisis--that is, one
way out for John L. Lewis But any
deals made with Mr.. Lewis in the in
terest Of expediency will not sit wen
with the American people.
Naturally the Lewis strategy was
never designed to bring on contro-
versy with the Federal Government or
with the judicial power. The purpose
at all times of the miners union leader
has been to force a new contract with
the coal operators.
Ever since the Government filed in
court its petition to require that the
Lewis notice of termination Of the coal
contract be rescinded, it has been ap-
parent on the inside here that Mr.. Lewis
would try to get some agreement with
Northern coal operators and thus make
unnecessary any further moves by the
Government.
Indeed, the idea back of the Lewis
action in terminating the contract with
Secretary Krug has been to compel the
operators to come into the picture with
some counterproposals. 1t Is a con-
tract with the private operators that
Mr.. Lewis has wanted all along SO that
the mines could be extricated from Cow
ernmspt ownership.
Operators on SideIines.
The operators. on the other hand. dis
pleased by the concessions already
granted under Government rule, have
been sitting on the sidelines patiently
waiting for the situation to be cleared
up before they accept the return of the
mines to private ownership. They have
heretofore indicated that they would.
of course, gladly take the mines back
but not under the terms Of the contract
which the Government made.
Mr.. Lewis, therefore, in trying to force
the hand of the private operators, de-
manded a new contract from the Gov
ernment- one which would indicate to
the operators that the longer they
waited the higher the price would be.
Mr.. Lewis made his mistake by not
resembling the strike order contained IN
the termination notice and then leaving
it to the court to decide on its merits
whether an injunction could be issued
when asked by the Federal Government.
When Mr.. Lewis did challenge the
court by refusing to rescind the order
he created new situation and one
from which it appeared to be dificult
for him to recede without agreeing to
some compromise enabling him to order
the miners back to work.
All through Tuesday night the qc.e-'
ton was whether Mr.. Lewis would ar
range settlement with the private OPP
orators that would permit him to tee
the court on wednesday that he hac
complied or was complying with the
request that the termination order be
Withdrawn.
To get an agreement with Northern
operators has always seemed more feas-
ible than with the Southern operators.
The beief has prevailed In some quar-
tiers, too. that an agreement with ons
group would force agreement with the
other group.
Questions Of Observers. p,
Assuming settlement of the points
at issue on the basis of q statement
from Mr.. Lewis virtually ordering the
miners back to work. what would the
public think Of it2 Would the admin
istration be commended merely for get
ting the coal mines reopened7 Would
Mr.. Lewis be hailed by labor leaders
as a man who had outwitted the Gov
ernment and forced settlement along
the lines he started out to geta
These questions were in the minds
Of many observers and some ofilcials
Tuesday night as 1t was realized that
once the trial on the contempt charge
started on Wednesday it would be dim
cult to stop the proceedings. For the
court has before it charge that the
temporary restraining order was actu-
ally disooeyed. Hence. negotiations or
compromises between the other parties
would not necessarily involve the court
or the V1nQlCaIlOu Ol ito hutAiotttS IA
issuing reAtraining order.
The administration had prepared TO
send the heads OF various Government
departments into court to paint Z pic
ture OF distress and emergency. For
there are some judicial decisions which
sanction the use of restraining order
by the Federal Government irrespec-
tive of the provisions Of the La
Guardia- Norris Act. z
The public has clamored for. clear
cut victory over Mr.. Lewis and an end
to one-man browbeating of the MAJ
tion. If the habit of calling intermit-
tent strikes and paralyzing the fuel sup
ply of the Nation isn't cured by the
present administration, the Republican
Congress viii find itself under strong
pressure to enact laws that will sc-
complish the same purpose.
(Reproduction Rights Reserved, 81
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