Challenge Accepted

John Lewis, labor's bullyboy, was slapped down, hard. This week the National Defense Mediation Board answered Lewis' demand for a union-shop contract in the captive coal mines (TIME, Nov. 10).

By an unexpectedly overwhelming vote of 9-to-2, they said: No!

Only votes for Lewis came from C.I.O. President Philip Murray and the Mine Workers' Secretary-Treasurer Thomas Kennedy. Two leaders of the A.F. of L. joined four representatives of industry, three of the public.

Weary, rumpled Board Chairman William H. Davis faced newsmen in the littered Mediation Board room which conferees had just vacated and announced the news. The Board had accepted Lewis' challenge to pull out 53,000 miners and cripple the nation's steel production.

To the suggestion that the next step was to enforce the recommendation, Chairman Davis grinned, replied: "I'm hoping the next step will be to accept..."If Lewis accepted the ignominy of such a defeat without a fight, it would be something new in boom-voiced Mr. Lewis' career.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.