War of Nerves

The battle on the mine front settled into a war of nerves :

< Almost precisely as if there had never been a strike, WLB went doggedly ahead with its consideration of the dispute, reconvened its fact-finding panel to hear evidence. John L. Lewis and his United Mine Workers pointedly ignored the hearing, which thus went on in a vacuum.

< Interior Secretary Harold Ickes, boss of all U.S. mines, hotly denied that he had reached any agreement on wages with John Lewis, ordered all miners to work a six-day week.

< The Senate, whipped into action by anti-Lewis sentiment, passed the Connally bill, making it a crime to incite a strike on Government-operated property. The House, ready to crack labor at a moment's notice, prepared to put bigger saw teeth in the bill.

< Franklin Roosevelt was asked at his press conference if the miners could strike. The President said he had been in Government a long time and did not know of an instance where Government workers struck against their Government. Same day some 1,400 miners did strike, protesting $1-a-day fines for their previous walkouts, were soon joined by 1,600 more.

< This week, OPA reported that prices in mine areas were not excessive, as John Lewis had charged, but only 5% above ceilings, which is general throughout the whole country.

< Eleanor Roosevelt entered the fray, deplored company stores which "keep miners in hock forever."

< In Pittsburgh, District U.M.W. President John P. Busarello said: "The members of District 5 will carry out the usual policy of 'no contract, no work at midnight, May 18."

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