Evening star., 1955-10-07
Mayor Willing
Toilet Piston
Plant Reopen
Monday Operation
Could Touch off
New Violence

9sS VsSo 49,
New Violence
NEW CASTLE, Ind. Oct. Z
R.--Mayor Paul F. Mccormack
announced today he is willing to
let the struck Perfect Circle
Corp. foundry reopen Monday
under supervision Of the In
diana National Guard.
I'VE have not been in contact
with the Governor but are at
tempting to do So" Mr.. McCor-
mack told q news conference.
"The Governor does have the
right to countermand my orders. .
When Gov. George N. Craig
ordered q guard battalion into
New Castle Wednesday night, he
said the troops were to prevent
any attempt to reopen the strike
bound plant and to disperse all
pieketing.v
The CIO United Auto workers
have warned that any reopening
of the foundry may well touch
on renewed violence. Eight per-
sons were shot Wednesday In q
riot at the plant gates and the
foundry has been closed since.
National Guard Stays
Perfect Circle officials have
said they intend to reopen the
plant as soon as they can get
. go-ahead from the Mayor.
Mr.. Mccormack emphasized to
newsmen that he Is not dis
missing the National Guard. An
estimated 500 guardsmen under
direction Of the Mayor have
maintained modified martial
law in this city since shortly
after midnight Wednesday.
Mayor Mccormack issued orr
ders to the Guard this morning
to permit four company mainte-
nance men and one supervisor
into the plant to survey damage
and take care Of any machinery
that needs attention. He per-
mitted the CIO-UAW to resume
picketing at the foundry imme-
diately. limited to i've, the num-
Der specified in q court injunc-
tion which the union admittedly
has defied from time to time.
Truce Talks Fruitless
"we1l let this thing simmer
down." Mr.. Mccormack said yes
terday after almost q full day
Of fruitless truce talks with the
UAW-CIO and ofiicials Of the
little piston ring foundry. ItI
employs only $50 persons
normally. |
A top company ofiicial told d |
reporter that Perfect Circle firm
ly intends to reopen its plant |
Just Is soon as the National |
Guard is withdrawn and local |
authorities permit.
However. UAW-CIO interna-
tional representative william r. |
Caldwell told Mayor Mccor-
mack:
II do not control. and admit
edly SO. the feeling Of workers
throughout Indiana and Ken
tucky and throughout the United
States. ! cannot insure the ac-
tions of other people Mr..
McC Cormack. ! could not assure
what would happen The out
side sentiment If you reopen this |
plant may cause us all trouble.
] can't govern it."
March Threatened
Mr.. Caldwell said that thou
sands Of Indiana unionists areI
poised to march against the
foundry II it reopens for pro-
duction.
New Castle. q tidy little city OF |
1900 in the rolling hills Of
Eastern Indiana, was a BAR
ricaded city. Gov. Craig sentl
600 National Guardsmen into
town shortly after midnight
"Wednesday.
The Perfect Circle strike be-
gan July 25. Minor violence
marked the walkout until earlier
this week when IS strikers were
fired by the company for picket |
line disorders.
The firings apparently sent a |
spark throughout UAW CIOt
ranks in the entire State. An
estimated 5000 demonstrators
massed before the foundry
Wednesday and marched onE
some 100 nonstrikers inside the |
plant.
The company had stocked the
plant with firearms In what Isl
called perfectly legal defensive
measure taken with the full
knowledge Of law enforcement
authorities.
Perfect Circle officials did not
deny that the first shot came |
from within the plant. Nor did
the uAW-CIO here deny that the |
demonstrators answered the gun
fire with weapons Of their own.
The UAW-CIO struck for al
union shop. compulsory arbitra-
ton, guaranteed layon plan and
assorted contract improvements