Evening star., 1947-04-06
Lewis Rebuffed
On Proposal 10
Mines Shut
Government Heading
To New Showdown
With UNIV Chief
fTerts OF LetDis and Collision
letters on Page A-6.J
By james Y. Newton

oy SoHISS ts tNGWbSH
The Government last night
headed into another showdown
battle with John L. Lewis, fatty
rejecting a request" of the min
ers' chief that all but two Of the
1881 soft coal mines in Govern
ment possession be closed for
safety reasons.
Mr.. Lewis's action posed the pos
sibility OF another shutdown of the
mines when his six-day memorial"
work stoppage for miners killed in
the Centralia Gll.) disaster ends at
midnight tonight.
He asserted In a letter to the In
terror Departments Coal Mines Ad-
ministration, operator of the Gov
ernment-seized pits, that only two
of the mines are safe and Officially
requested" the remaining 2,529 be
closed until re-examined and certi-
fed as safe by Federal inspectors.
Rejection of the Lewis suggestion
involved what one official described
as "a high administration policy de-
cision." It was indicated that
President Truman was consulted
and it was known that Attorney
General Clark gave his advice to
Secretary OF Interior Krug before
the decision was made to rundown
the belligerent miners boss.
Five hour Conference.
+. Mr.. Krug held q five-hour con-
ference with high officials in his
Office after the letter containing
the Lewis shutdown request was
received about pm. John F. Son.
nett, first assistant Attorney Gen.
eral, and an assistant, attended the
conference. along with Navy Capt
N. H. COLLISION, coal mines admin
istrator, and other officials.
Mr.. Sonnett led the successful
prosecution of Mr.. Lewis and the
United Mine Workers for contempt
of court, resulting from last falls
coal strike, and it was said the
Government was determined to dc
battle again should the miners
remain away from work en- mass
this week. Mr.. Lewis and his union,
it was pointed out, still are under
court injunction against strike.
Mr.. Lewis letter requesting the
mine shutdown was directed to
Capt. Collision. The letter carry-
ing the Governments answer bore
the naval captains signature. al
though it was drafted carefully
by Mr.. Krug and the other con-
ferees. Mr.. Lewis and Mr.. Krug
have had no direct exchange,
verbal or written, since Mr.. Lewis
was taken to court in President
Truman's Finish fight" with him
last November.
No Answer from Lewis.
There was no immediate answer
from Mr.. Lewis to the rejection
of his closure suggestion. This left
up in the air the matter of how
many of the 100000 miners will
show up for work tomorrow. How
ever, 1t was pointed out that in
the past the miners have stayed
out with no direct word from union
headquarters.
Mr.. Lewis has accused Mr.. Krug
of criminal negligence" In con-
nection with the death of Ill min
ers at Centralia, because of Tax
ity" in enforcing the Federal Mine
Safety Code. provided for in the
Krug-Lewis agreement under which
the Government has operated the
mines since last May.
A possibility was that the miners
would work mines as directed and
thus try to throw full response
bility for any ensuing accidents on
the Government.
Unable 10 Agree.
In his answer to Mr.. Lewis, Capt
Collision stated:
II have carefully considered your
request and am unable to agree
that I should follow the arbitrary
procedure Of closing down the en-
tire soft coal industry when the
Krug- Lewis agreement itself pro-
vides means by which the union
may guard against working in un-
safe mines
He pointed out that the Krug-
Lewis agreement provides for the
prompt closing" of any mine the
individual union mine safety COM
mittees considers "too dangerous to
operate"
Capt. Collision then quoted an
exchange between Mr.. Lewis and
Representative Nixon, Republican
of California, during Mr.. Lewis
testimony on mine safety before q
House committee Thursday.
Mr.. Nixon had asked the union
boss what mines would reopen at
the end of the memorial" period
and when the answer was not clear
to him, commented:
THAT is an indication that as
far as you are concerned that there
are only two mines to which the
men are going back?
Mr.. Lewis: No, no. Again the
rule OF reason enters into it,
win Use sRule Of Reason
Referring to Secretary Krug's
order closing 5i8 mines as danger
Gus, Capt. Collision wrote he "ac-
cordingly" would use the rule OF
reason. In reopening the mines
tomorrow.
He then explained that mines "a
(see COAL, Page A-63