Telegrams to Industry Leaders and to the Union President Calling a Meeting on the Steel Strike.
[Released May 2, 1952. Dated May 1, 1952]
THE UNITED STATES Court of Appeals has granted an order staying the order of the United States District Court enjoining the operation of the steel mills by the Government. Thus the Government is now in a Position to continue the operation of the steel mills in the national interest. The continued production of steel is of critical importance to the safety of our troops in Korea, and to the success of the Mutual Security Program, and the entire national defense effort. In order to avoid a costly loss in output, it is vital that steel production be resumed as soon as possible. I therefore request you, as a loyal American, to do everything you can to restore the steel plants to full operation as quickly as possible, in order that we may obtain the steel we must have for our national safety.
I also request you to meet with me in my office at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 3, 1952. I am asking Mr. Philip Murray and the presidents of five other steel companies to meet with us at that time to begin further conferences seeking an immediate settlement of the issues between the companies and the union.
HARRY S. TRUMAN
Note: This is the text of identical telegrams addressed to Benjamin Moreel, Chairman, Board of Directors, Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa., frank Purnell, President, Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co., Youngstown, Ohio, Benjamin Fairless, President, United States Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa., Charles M. White, President, Republic Steel Corp., Cleveland, Ohio, A. B. Homer, President, Bethlehem Steel Corp., Bethlehem, Pa., and Clarence Randall, President, Inland Steel Co., Chicago, Ill.
A similar telegram was sent to Philip Murray, President, United Steelworkers of America, Pittsburgh, Pa. The last three sentences of the telegram to Mr. Murray read as follows:
"I therefore request you and all the members of the steel workers union, as loyal Americans, to do everything you can to restore the steel plants to full operation as quickly as possible, in order that we may obtain the steel we must have for our national safety.
"I request you to meet with me in my office at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 3, 1952. I am also asking the presidents of the six largest steel companies to meet with me at that time to begin further conferences seeking an immediate settlement of the issues between the union and the companies."
See also Item 118.
Harry S Truman, Telegrams to Industry Leaders and to the Union President Calling a Meeting on the Steel Strike. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/230617