seek to enforce the closed or Union shop in these and all other captive   
coal mines. The captive coal mine operators, whose mines have always been   
operated on the open shop principle, have taken the position before the   
Mediation Board that there is no occasion to justify a change at this time   
in their long-established principle that the right to work in the captive coal mines is not dependent upon membership or non-  
membership in any organization. In view of the dominant position in the   
captive coal mines now held by the United Mine Workers, the captive coal   
mine operators do not understand what good reason there is for Mr. Lewis   
to insist at this time upon a closed shop in the captive coal mines.   
Naturally, they fear the possible effect of a closed shop, if established   
in the captive coal mines, upon their steel producing and other open shop   
                        operations.                         
 
                                                            
 
 
You will recall that a modified form of closed shop, called "maintenance   
of membership", was the only point of difference in the recent Federal   
Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Compant case. We urderstard that that same issue   
is now presented by the Union in the various Atlantic Coast shipyards of   
 Bethlehem Steel Corporation, and also in other Atlantic Coast shipyards.  
Our fears of some weeks ago over the possible spread of this closed shop   
question appear to have been realized. Of course, we do not know whether   
Chairman Davis and the other members of the Mediation Bozrd fully   
recognize their responsibility in reaching a decision on the closed shop   
issue now before the Mediation Board in the captive coal mining cases and   
whether they are taking into due consideration the far reaching effect of   
this decision upon American industry in general and upon the prompt  
         fulfilment of the national defence effort.         
 
                                                            
 
 
The more recent work stoppages in the steel mills of subsidiaries of   
United States Steel Corporation, that is, occurring between September l,   
1941, and October 15, 1941, have resulted in a loss of steel production   
estimated at 181,584  tons. This