Evening star., 1946-10-25
u. 5. May Meet
Before
Nov. | Deadline
Clark Studying Pact
After Cabinet Meeting
To Be Ready for Coll
By jones Y. Newton


Department is studying the
language of the Governments
soft coal wage agreement with
the United Mine Workers which
John L. Lewis says he will void
November / unless the Govern
ment agrees to his demand for
reopening.
This development came after 1t
was learned that Federal strategy
for dealing with the coal strike
threat will be to meet with Mr..
Lewis on or before his November l
deadline and attempt to persuade
him to accept arbitration as to
whether the wage agreement can
be reopened.
Mr.. Clark told reporters as he left
President Truman's weekly cabinet
meeting that his department had
not been called into the coal crisis,
but was analyzing the contract so
that when We are called in we will
be ready with something"
Cabinet Discusses Threat.
The Attorney General and others
who attended the cabinet session
said the coal strike threat was dis
cussed. Mr.. Clark said he could
not recall whether or not the Presi-
dent was optimistic that solution
could be found to the latest Lewis
strike threat.
The Government wage contract
with the mine workers was signed
last May 20 by Mr. Lewis and Sec
retary of the Interior Krug: ending
59-day strike. Private mine op-
orators since that time have been
unable to agree on acceptance OF the
Krug-Lewis agreement, hence the
mines, seized May %, still are in
Federal possession.
Navy Capt. NJ H. COLLISION, head
of the Coal Mines Administration in
the Interior Department, and Secre-
tary Krug contend the agreement
holds for the entire period of Gov
ernment operation and canriot be
reopened. Mr.. Lewis says that view
is absurd and that the agreement
carries over To-day reopening pro-
visions of the 1945 contract with the
private operators.
Officials Seek Way Out.
Presumably, it is this dispute over
reopening that the Justice Depart
nnent Is studying.
Federal officials are devising ways
of getting out of the corner into
which Mr.. Lewis has driven them
In it's present position the Govern
ment has the choice of giving in to
the Lewis demands or Of sitting
tight and accepting a strike which
would seem to be inevitable Either
course, officials believe, would be in
furious in the coming elections.
Secretary Krug. it was learned,
is considering cutting short his
inspection trip of the West and
returning here for showdown
meeting with Mr.. Lewis.
May Discuss Arbitration.
If Mr.. Krug decides to return
before he had planned it will be to
discuss the United Mine Workers
grievances under the present agree
ment and arbitration of the re-
opening rather than for con-
ference with Mr.. Lewis on a new
contract.
Capt. COLLISION and other officials
have held numerous strategic tele-
phone conversations with Mr.. Krug
in the West. These talks have proven
rather unsatisfactory for obvious
| reasons.
| All hands at the Interior Depart
ment wish that Mr.. Krug were here
to handle the coal crisis which wor-
ries the administration from Presi-
dent Truman on down. '
Offered Farley in California.
| In communications from the West,
Mr.. Krug has said he did not see
how he could return to Washington
before November 6. nearly week
after the Lewis deadline. He has
offered to meet the mine leader in
| California November for discussion
of present contract grievances but
not about new agreement.
| Mr.. Krug also has been quoted as
saying that he does not believe the
miners would walk out November l.
officials here do not concur with
that view They believe it sure
1See COAL, Page A-6l