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Further, there are very definite ideas in the U.S. Steel corporation with  
respect to the closed shop--and that is the only issue in the captive mine   
case. At the director's meeting on Tuesday, I will present this whole matter  
fully to the board, and I am confident that they would abandon the defense  
of the freedom of the worker to join or not to join a union only if you  
issued an executive order in the captive mine case, or if Congress enacted  
legislation which took from the shoulders of the Board the responsibility  
for that decision. In either of those instances, I am confident the   
             corporation would probably comply.             
 
                                                            
 
 
Later last night, I received your telegram and I referred to that part of it  
which has to do with my working with Mr. Lewis to extend the time of truce.  
I talked with him on the telephone at 8:00 this morning and urged that he  
extend the time for two weeks, during which time I shall be gald to confer  
with him. I told him I would come to Washington on Wednesday for that   
purpose. This sort of conference, however, would not be a part of the   
Mediation Board activities but only a personal and private conference   
between Mr. Lewis and myself. This is predicted of course upon his complying  
with the suggestion for a two week's truce. I have done this without  
conferring with any of the Steel People or anyone else, but in an effort to  
be of some use in a situation which clearly presents, without any other  
complication, the closed shop versus the open shop principle