The Wilmington Morning Star

Roosevelt Orders End Of Anthracite Strike

Chief Miners To Return To Work Eight Hours Or 'Necessary Steps' Will Be Taken

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-(AP)-

In a message to members of the armed forces, President Roosevelt served notice on asking anthracite miners today that they must return to work within 48 hours or he would take the "necessary steps" to protect the nation against "serious injury to the war effort."

The chief executive's warning, possibly implying that troops would be dispatched to the mines, was telegraphed to local and national officers of the United Mine Workers. The War Labor Board had advised him that the strikers had not complied with two requests from it for a return to work.

Although 6,000 of the strikers returned to the jobs today, UMW locals at two large collieries voted to continue the three-weeks old walkout, and the meeting of a third broke up in confusion before balloting was completed. Altogether more than 12,000 still are idle.

The 970 employees of the Buttonwood colliery of the Glen Alden Coal company, voting after the President's order was issued, decided to stay out despite warning from Ben Phillips, president of the local, that "troops probably will be sent in."

The local at the Number Seven colliery of the Susquehanna Collieries company, also decided to remain idle. Some of the voting there likewise was done after the workers learned about Mr. Roosevelt's directive.

Balloting among the 1,200 workers at the Glen Alden's Lance colliery, one of the largest involved in the strike, ended in a noisy demonstration, with no result determined. A fourth large local was scheduled to vote later tonight.

A general belief prevailed among the miners throughout the strike area that the President's order meant that the government would take over management of the closed mines without the use of troops. Many of the strikers favor such action.

Even as the President intervened (Continued on Page Six, Col. 6)