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Show liMliiagrm WiisliliiBlon, I). C. I.KAU OK COAL STRIKE niMltt-st iiroblern on tlie labor horl-ton horl-ton la the definitely looming pos-siblity pos-siblity of n national coal strike on April 1. Industry fears It, the government gov-ernment fears It, but even more, perhaps, other labor leaders fear It. They fear that bull-headed John U Lewis, head of the miners, will precipitate a strike which will blacken the eye of the entire labor movement, further undermining public confidence in labor. "Bull Jack" Lewis, as ihey call him, belongs be-longs neither to the AFL nor the CIO, and the executives of both are worried over the effect which a strike called by the miners would have on their organizations. For, they point out, the public does not discriminate between different labor la-bor unions In time of crisis. Negotiations for a new coal contract con-tract are scheduled to begin March 1 between John L. Lewis and the coal operators. This gives 30 days in which to reach an agreement. Last year, however, the negotiations started earlier, and, even so, didn't conclude by March 31. Meanwhile, Secretary Ickes, In order to head off a mine shutdown, shut-down, has sent a letter both to the coal operators and John L. Lewis proposing that they continue the present wage agreement for another year. The coal operators are understood to be ready to agree to this proposal. pro-posal. John L. Lewis's office, however, sent a delaying reply. His secretary secre-tary wrote Ickes that Lewis was "absent from the city." This probably prob-ably means that Lewis is conferring with his mine lieutenants before he sends Ickes a final decision. WHY RUSSIANS WAITED U. S. military strategists now disclose dis-close two reasons why the great Russian winter offensive was delayed. de-layed. The first problem was one of supplies. sup-plies. Although the red army had the bulk of the equipment it needed, deliveries of several relatively rela-tively small but highly important items were delayed. One of the items they waited for was several million tons of canned beef which midwestern packing firms have been producing since Russia entered the war. Red army front-line troops live almost al-most entirely on this canned beef during offensives. The packers knew they had a deadline to make on their order, but couldn't get enough manpower to do the job. As the days rolled by, even office workers work-ers were drafted to the pro- ductlon line. However, the shipment wasn't ready until weeks after the date set by the Russians. The same was true of several other Important Impor-tant products. In the end, the British Brit-ish dipped Into their own stockpiles In England, and shipped the necessary neces-sary material to fully equip the Red army. Finally, when the great offensive of-fensive was about to start In mid-December, an unseasonable thaw set In on the eastern front, bogging down the Red army equipment. The Russians had massed tremendous new Stalin tanks, larger than anything any-thing either the Germans or the other Allies have seen. These could not be moved except over frozen terrain. When the front froze solid again, Stalin gave the word and the long-delayed winter win-ter offensive began. RRITISH PRflPOSK KF.FPING H1ROHITO Very little appeared in the papers about it, but highly important policies poli-cies regarding future relations with Japan were discussed at the recent institute of Pacific relations at Hot Springs, Va. Most important of all was a proposal by the British to retain Emperor Hirohito and the Japanese ruling class in the postwar post-war setup of Japan. Sir Paul Butler, leading adviser to the British foreign office, led the appeal for Hirohito. Behind closed doors at the swank Homestead hotel, Butler made this blunt pronouncement: "No alternative alterna-tive to a monarchial system, under the present emperor or some other member of his family, is likely to provide the focus of stability which will be essential if the state Is not to dissolve into chaos in the impending impend-ing crisis." Other United Nations delegates also were vigorously opposed to the British policy of appeasing the emperor. Most significant of all was the position of the British dominions domin-ions Canada, Australia, and New Zealand which split with the delegation dele-gation from the British Isles itself. CAPITAL CHAFF C. New York's ex-lieutenant-governor, Charles Polettl, has been doing do-ing an A-l job in Italy. But at first . he got many a cold shoulder from Italians before somebody tipped him off to change the form of the proclamations proc-lamations he issued as military commissioner in Rome. Poletti began be-gan his proclamations with 'To, Carlo Poletti . . ." For a score ol years Italians were fed up reading proclamations which began "Io, Benito Mussolini. . . ." |