Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-11-23
Truman Due Back Here Today
To Lead Fight Against Lewis,
May Summon Congress Leaders
Most Of EorIy Action
In Soft Coal Strike
Due From Courts
By jones Y. Newton

PRESIDENT Truman was return
Ing from Florida vacation to-
day to assume command of the
Governments finish fight" with
John L. Lewis and it was said he
may call a bipartisan confer
ence Of congressional leaders II
developments fail to indicate
quick solution of the coal crisis.
A White House adviser at the
Capital explained the conference
would explore various ideas for deal
ing with the Nation wide coal strike
through legislation and to work out
agreement between top men of both
parties. Mr.. Truman was scheduled
to arrive here on his private plane,
the Sacred Cow, in midafternoon.
Meanwhile, the fight against Mr..
Lewis hold on the Nation settled
down to what appeared to be a long
drawn-out struggle, with most of
the action promised from the courts.
Mr.. Lewis will appear before Justice
7. Alan Goldsborough in District
Court Monday in an attempt to
purge" himself of the contempt CT
tation growing out of his failure to
obey court order to call of the
strike.
Faces Possible Jail Term.
II Mr.. Lewis fails to satisfy JUS
tice Goldsborough that he is inno-
cent of contempt, he will be tried
Wednesday with She help of a spe-
cial advisory jury. He faces a pos
sible jail term or fine, and the
United Mine Workers organization
faces fine, since it, too. was named
In the contempt citation.
There was the possibility, too, that
II the Government succeeds in
tagging" Mr.. Lewis with RESPONSE
bility for the walkout of 400, 900 soft
coal miners in the contempt trial
his Indictment will be sought for
violation of the Smith-C onnally Act.
1t forbids Indictment of strikes
against the Government and carries
Jail and fine penalties.
There were these other develop
ments as the three-day strike began
to squeeze the country's economy:
1. Senator Byrd, Democrat, Of
Virginia wired Secretary of Interior
Krug and Attorney General Clark
that court action against MIR. Lewis
alone offers no solution to the crisis
and he urged that proceedings be
started against the officials of
every local union in the United Mine
Workers in their respective dorni-
Giles" He suggested that after "a
hours notice, the Government pro-
coed to impound union funds las
part damages resulting from their
broken contract"
Rail Freight Ban Delayed.
2. Director j. Monroe johnson of
the ONCE of Defense Transportation
announced he has decided to post
pone planned embargo on rail
freight traffic "for several days"
He said survey of railroad coal
supplies showed the embargo to be
unnecessary at this moment.
8. The Navy issued orders to its
base commandments to help out in
the crisis by making available spare
fuel and power ito those commune
ties which have instituted all prac-
ticable conservation measures and
whose resources are approaching ex-
hauStion."
Senator Byrd telegraphed the two
cabinet officers:
TO single out John Lewis alone
for punishment is no solution to
the crisis facing us. This will not
end tbs coal strike but may prolong
it by making him a martyr in the
eyes of his coal miners. However,
as Lewis has already been served
with contempt papers, I urge that
you begin similar action against the
officials of every local union of the