COAL STRIKE ENDED

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23967, 7 June 1943, Page 5

COAL STRIKE ENDED

MINERS ORDERED BACK ACTION BY AMERICAN UNION (8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 5. The United Mine Workers of America have called off the strike and 530,000 hard and soft coal miners have been ordered to return to work on Monday, until June 20, pending new negotiations with the operators, states a message from Washington. . The president (Mr John L. Lewis) said the miners placed the nation’s war-time in. terests above their own ungranted and long deferred claims for justice. Proclaiming that the mines would reopen on June 7, the Secretary of the Interior (Mr Harold L. Ickes) promised the miners a 30-dollar increase, vacation pay, and allowances, and also free tools and equipment. He added that adjustments would be made at the direction of the War Labour Board, The Associated Press correspondent in Washington says that the adjustments will mean an increase of 25 cents a day in the miners’ pay. The correspondent says also that the order of the United Mine Workers to the local, unions to return to work applies only to June 20. and thus appears equivalent to another truce. The notice to the unions stated: “The National Policy Committee has unanimously authorised a return to work from June 7 and including June 20. This action is taken to protect union membership." ’ x The House of Representatives, by 2JI votes to 141, passed a compromise on the Anti-Strike Bill which would permit the War Labour Board to subpoena Mr Lewis and possibly make him liable to a 5000-dollar fine or imprisonment. The bill, which is now returned to the Senate, would give the board statutory powers, including authority, to enforce witnesses’ appearance. The bill provides for a 5000-dollar fine and one year’s imprisonment for all persons who aid operational interruption in war plants or mines which the Government has seized. It also provides for 30 days’ notice, a secret ballot, and the registration of Labour Union leaders before a strike can be called.

AIR ATTACKS ON GERMANY

EFFECTS ON PEOPLE ADMITTED

tßec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, June 5. “We are doing everything possible throughout the Reich to alleviate the burdens of the air war, yet much remains unsolved," said Goebbels in a speech at the Sports Palace. “People in the air raid zones are resisting the enemy’s criminal air terrorism with unparalleled heroism. “At the moment we must suffer this crime with hard set teeth. The coming of victory depends to a great extent on how the people take it. The average German hasn't an idea what the populations are suffering in the air raid areas in the west and northwest. People complaining elsewhere should look at Essen, Dortmund, Bochum, Wupperthal, and other towns in the air war areas and blush with shame. “The enemy may turn our homes into a shambles, but one day retribution will come.” Goebbels claimed that the German Navy and Air Force up to May 31 had sunk 26.500,000 tons of enemy shipping. “The enemy cannot catch up with our sinkings whatever his new shipbuilding.” he added. “Our front is also holding firm in the east.” Goebbels warned that whoever spread enemy rumours weakened Germany’s strength and committed a sin against the Germans’ will to sacrifice which was consecrated by the death of thousands of soldiers. ■’

R.A.F. FIGHTERS ON

OFFENSIVE ATTACKS ON ENEMY , TRANSPORT (8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 5. Spitfires to-day continued their offensive against enemy transport, severely damaging a coaster off the Dutch coast, setting fire to two large petrol lorries, and shooting up a goods train and locomotives in north-west France. Fire broke out on the coaster and hits were also scored on an armed trawler accompanying the ship. One of our fighters is missing. Twelve Focke Wulfs on Friday morning bombed and machine-gunned a town in south-east England. The bodies of two men and two women, were recovered from wrecked buildings, and there were also a number of persons injured. A church, hotel, library, and shop were hit, and two buses were badly damaged by blast. At least one raider was shot down. R.A.F. fighters, based in Britain destroyed two other German aircraft on Friday. One was shot into the sea off the French coast and another off the south coast of England. Two more enemy machines were shot down by ground defences.

SOVIET AEROPLANE FACTORIES « drastic reorganisation ” NEW YORK, June 4. Russian warplane factories have been drastically reorganised and are now using the assembly line for the first time, according to the “New York Times.” The changeover was exceedingly difficult in view of the military necessity of maintaining output, but it was achieved without important inter, ruption. One factory reported that the changeover occupied 16 days and resulted in a 41 per cent, increase in output and a 50 per cent, reduction in auxiliary workers.

RUSSIAN BATTLESHIP REFITTED LONDON, June 4. Moscow newspapers reveal that the Russian battleship October Revolution, operating in the Baltic, has undergone a complete refit and is now equipped with British-made multiple anti-air-craft guns and several other new types of guns from abroad. The October Revolution’s guns were used in the anti-aircraft defence of Leningrad.