COAL STRIKE THREATENED

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23964, 3 June 1943, Page 5

COAL STRIKE THREATENED

AMERICAN MINERS 500,000 MEN INVOLVED (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) . NEW YORK, June 1. America is facing another national coal crisis. Thousands of miners stopped work last night when the coal strike truce expired, and a nationwide stoppage is feared. The only hope of a settlement rests on a conference to-day between the coal owners and the miners’ leaders. If this conference fails more than 500,000 miners are expected to strike. Asserting that the walk-out constituted a strike against the Government, Mr Harold Ickes, Secretary of the Interior, called on Mr John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers of America, to order the miners to return to “their war-time posts of duty.” Mr Ezra van Horn, chairman of the mine operators’ committee, called on both operators and miners to reach a speedy conclusion of their negotiations, assuring continuous production of coal on a normal basis. A later message says that neither side has been able to agree to the formula submitted by Mr Ickes. Government action, possibly the use of troops, is expected unless Mr Lewis orders the miners to resume work. The walk-out appears to be 100 per cent, effective, although some mines manned by American Federation of Labour or independent union members have continued producing. The Washington correspondent of the "New York Sun’’ states that the walk-out has produced a final showdown between Mr Lewis and Mr Roosevelt. Miners have demonstrated their unfaltering determination to follow Mr Lewis’s leadership rather than the President’s, indicating that further appeals to their patriotism would be futile. The Government must now resort to force' to ensure the uninterrupted production of coal.

175 SHIPS BUILT IN MAY

PRODUCTION RECORD BY U.S. YARDS (Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 1. The United Stated Maritime Commission has announced that American merchant shipyards established a new production record in May, delivering 175 vessels, totalling 1,782,000 deadweight tons, including 15 tankers of 10,000 tons each and 120 Liberty ships. Production has now reached a rate of approximately 20,000,000 tons annually, which is 1,000,000 tons above the 1943 production goal.

JUGOSLAVIA AND GREECE

CONDITIONS UNDER AXIS RULE (8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 1. In a new terror campaign in Eastern Serbia the Germans put to death 12 innocent people of the town of Negotin, according to reports reaching the Jugoslav Government in London. All 12 were murdered without being previously tried, even by a German summary court. One. of them was teaten to death. It is significant that the town ■of Negotin is close to the bank of the Danube river, along which German supplies, particularly oil, pass from Rumania to Germany. • . , . Further information received in London shows that the Serb puppet, Nedic, has signed an agreement providing for 30 per cent, of the whole food crop of Jugoslavia to be sent to Germany. Serb peasants are to be paid in paper dinar, which are valueless outside the country, and will, under the agreement, be able ‘‘freely to dispose of the remaining 50 per cent.” Addressing the British-Greek Parliamentary Committee of the-House of Commons, M. Ichalopoplps,. yntil recently Greek Minister of Information, said that starvation has been rampant in Greek towns and islands for the last two years. It was estimated that in Athens more than 100,000 people had died of starvation. Thanks to Britain’s action in raising the blockade and Canada’s generosity in sending wheat, conditions, though still very bad, were considerably improved. In Northern Greece the Bulgarians had forcibly ejected more than 100,000 farmers and sent them to starve in Southern Greece. They had also massacred nearly 20,000 civilians in this district. After clashes with civilians the Gestapo removed the tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the Prague Town Hall, says a message from Stockholm. Wreaths appeared on the tomb daily for several weeks, with ribbons bearing the names of patriots executed the previous day.

BRITISH WORKERS PRAISED GREAT WAR INDUSTRIES

DEVELOPED (8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 1. Twenty-five million people out of Britain’s total population of 46,000,000 are engaged in some form of national service, said the Minister of Labour and National Service (Mr Ernest Bevin) in a broadcast address from a factory in connexion with the second anniversary of the “workers’ playtime” radio programme. Mr Bevin said that the real purpose of his talk was to express his gratitude to the men and women of this country for their magnificent response to the call to develop great war industries. “We have come a long way,” he added. “In the first year of the war we produced very little. In the second year, in spite of being alone, we showed a material development. _ In the third year we began to see big bombers, more powerful guns, and more ships, and we were beginning to feel a sense of mastery. Now, in the fourth year, the offensive will take place, and we feel we are moving forward to the destruction of the enemy. None of this would have been possible had it not been for the millions of men and women who have given everything to their jobs—however small a component they are making or large a weapon thev are completing. “How difficult it seemed when we were called upon to produce an Army, Air Force, Navy, and Mercantile Marine of the size operating to-day. It seemed that out of our population it would never have been possible. You have the right to feel proud of yourselves. My message to-night is: ‘Carry on. Don’t let up, for the prize is worth v. inning. In one word, it is victory

OFFICERS OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY

MR HENRY FORD ELECTED PRESIDENT (Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 2. Shareholders elected Mr Henry Ford, who is 79 years of age, president of the Ford Motor Company, succeeding his son, Mr Edsel Ford, who died last week. Other officers elected were:— Mr Charles Sorensen, vice-president. Mr B. J. Craig, vice-president and treasurer. Directors elected were;—Mr Henry Ford, sen,, Mr Henry Ford and Mr Benson Ford (grandsons), Mr Charles Sorensen, Mrs Edsel Ford, Messrs Harry Bennett, M. L. Bricker, B. J. Craig, and R. R. Rausch. Naval Officers Decorated.—Three commanding officers of the Royal Navy’fe “little ships" have been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross' for actions against E-boats and trawlers. They are Acting-Lieutenant-Commander Peter Markham Scott, Lieutenant Donald Gould Bradford, R.N.R., and Lieutenant John Hartley Hodder. R.N.V.R, Acting-Lieutenant-Commander Scott is the son of the famous Antarctic explorer.—London, June 1.