Evening star., 1946-11-21
Court May Get Charges Today;
Strike Halls Soft Coal Production
Don't Disturb
Order Issued
At Lewis Home
By jones Y. Newton

py JomSS T. iNSWtoH
Justice Department attorneys
today were reported to have
completed drafting contempt
citation papers against John L.
Lewis and his United Mine Work.
ers officials. They are expected
to present the petition to Justice
T. Alan Goldsborough in District
Court this afternoon.
In the only official comment on
the situation Justice Department
spokesman said, There is a posi-
bility that some presentment may be
made to the court late today" He
refused to define the nature of the
action, but presumably it would seek
to invoke contempt proceedings.
- Justice Goldsborough then may
o decide whether to call on the union
officials to show cause why they
should not be fined or jailed for
ignoring his order of Monday re-
straining Mr.. Lewis and union lead
ership from acting to bring about
strike and calling on them to
retract the notice terminating"
the work contract.
Justice Goldsborough adjourned
his court for the day shortly before
noon, but aides said he would be
In his chambers in the afternoon.
Finishing Touches Applied.
Assistant Attorney General John
Sonnett, it was said, awaited only
word from Attorney General Clark
g.. to initiate contempt proceedings be-
fore Justice Goldsborough. President
Truman had ordered the drastic
action from Key West, Fla, where
he is vacationing.
The petition, it was learned, was
drawn up by Mr.. Clark, Mr.. Sonnet
and other Federal attorneys. Fin
ishing touches were applied at a
staff meeting this morning.
Late this morning Mr.. Lewis was
still at his Alexandria home, where
he went from his downtown Wash
ington Office late yesterday. He
continued the stony silence he has
maintained since issuance of Jus
tice Goldsborough's order, and
nothing was known of his plans for
the day.
Vigil at Lewis Home.
Reporters and photographers
kept an all-night vigil at the Lewis
home. At 8 am. q servant opened
the front door, picked up a news
paper and ducked inside.
The papers headline told about
the Government seeking to Jail Mr..
Lewis. Shortly after 9. am. mes
senger arrived with two kilograms.
The servant took them and returned
inside. Newsmen had been told
earlier: "Mr. Lewis is not to be
disturbed"
Legal opinion was that it is ques-
tionable whether Mr. Lewis could be
extradited for the offense should
he choose to remain in Virginia
even if the Government gets a con-
tempt citation. A moot question
was whether contempt proceedings
could be transferred to the Virginia
Federal court.
Directed by Master Strategist.
The Mine Workers, directed by
the master strategist, Mr.. Lewis, no
titled Secretary of Interior Krug
last Friday that the contract under
which the Government has operated
the seized coal mines since last May
would be terminated last midnight.
The midnight deadline passed
without action from Mr. Lewis or
his unioif to comply with the Colds
borough order to recall the "ter-
mination" notice. In the coal fields,
the miners, ignoring Government
notice that the contract was to re-
main in effect, followed Mr.. Lewis
Interpretation and walked out ac-
cording to the traditional mo con-
tract, no work" policy.
The grim finish fight ordered by
President Truman was shaping up.
Mr.. Lewis faces possible jail SEN
tence or fine for ignoring the Dis
trict Court order. At the same time,
some legal minds who examined
Justice Goldsborough's order, ex-
press some doubt as to whether a
restraining order could force a de-
fendant to some positive action like
retraction of the contract termina-
ton notice.
sympathy Strikes Feared.
"A source of concern to Secretary
Krug and other top officials was
that even if they succeed in jailing
Mr.. Lewis and other union officials
they still will not be able to get
coal produced. All conceded that in
any event action could not be
brought against individual miners
and there is no way of forcing them
to return to work.
Also worrying Federal officials
was that all labor, the CIO and AFL,
were lined up solidly behind the
embattled mine workers. There was
. fear of widespread sympathy
strikes and some fear even of gen.
eral strike in support of MIR. Lewis.
Activities of organized labor were
&~s.4 4A