DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE TO TAKE POSSESSION OF AND OPERATE THE PLANTS AND FACILITIES OF CERTAIN STEEL COMPANIES
WHEREAS on December 16, 1950, I proclaimed (2) the existence of a national emergency which requires that the military, naval, air, and civilian defenses of this country be strengthened as speedily as possible to the end that we may be able to repel any and all threats against our national security and to fulfill our responsibilities in the efforts being made throughout the United Nations and otherwise to bring about a lasting peace; and
WHEREAS American fighting men and fighting men of other nations of the United Nations are now engaged in deadly combat with the forces of aggression in Korea, and forces of the United States are stationed elsewhere overseas for the purpose of participating in the defense of the Atlantic Community against aggression; and
WHEREAS the weapons and other materials needed by our armed forces and by those joined with us in the defense of the free world are produced to a great extent in this country, and steel is an indispensable component of substantially all of such weapons and materials; and
WHEREAS steel is likewise indispensable to the carrying out of programs of the Atomic Energy Commission of vital importance to our defense efforts; and
WHEREAS a continuing and uninterrupted supply of steel is also indispensable to the maintenance of the economy of the United States, upon which our military strength depends; and
WHEREAS a controversy has arisen between certain companies in the United States producing and fabricating steel and the elements thereof and certain of their workers represented by the United Steel Workers of America, CIO, regarding terms and conditions of employment; and
WHEREAS the controversy has not been settled through the processes of collective bargaining or through the efforts of the Government, including those of the Wage Stabilization Board, to which the controversy was referred on December 22, 1951, pursuant to Executive Order No. 10233, (2) and a strike has been called for 12:01 A.M., April 9, 1952; and
WHEREAS a work stoppage would immediately jeopardize and imperil our national defense and the defense of those joined with us in resisting aggression, and would add to the continuing danger of our soldiers, sailors, and airmen engaged in combat in the field; and
WHEREAS in order to assure the continued availability of steel and steel products during the existing emergency, it is necessary that the United States take possession of and operate the plants, facilities, and other property of the said companies as hereinafter provided:
NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, and as President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:
1. The Secretary of Commerce is hereby authorized and directed to take possession of all or such of the plants, facilities, and other property of the companies named in the list attached hereto, or any part thereof, as he may deem necessary in the interests of national defense; and to operate or to arrange for the operation thereof and to do all things necessary for, or incidental to, such operation.
2. In carrying out this order the Secretary of Commerce may act through or with the aid of such public or private instrumentalities or persons as he may designate; and all Federal agencies shall cooperate with the Secretary of Commerce to the fullest extent possible in carrying out the purposes of this order.
3. The Secretary of Commerce shall determine and prescribe terms and conditions of employment under which the plants, facilities, and other properties possession of which is taken pursuant to this order shall be operated. The Secretary of Commerce shall recognize the rights of workers to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing and to engage in concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining, adjustment of grievances, or other mutual aid or protection, provided that such activities do not interfere with the operation of such plants, facilities, and other properties.
4. Except so far as the Secretary of Commerce shall otherwise provide from time to time, the managements of the plants, facilities, and other properties possession of which is taken pursuant to this order shall continue their functions, including the collection and disbursement of funds in the usual and ordinary course of business in the names of their respective companies and by means of any instrumentalities used by such companies.
5. Except so far as the Secretary of Commerce may otherwise direct, existing rights and obligations of such companies shall remain in full force and effect, and there may be made, in due course, payments of dividends on stock, and of principal, interest, sinking funds, and all other distributions upon bonds, debentures, and other obligations, and expenditures may be made for other ordinary corporate or business purposes.
6. Whenever in the judgment of the Secretary of Commerce further possession and operation by him of any plant, facility, or other property is no longer necessary or expedient in the interest of national defense, and the Secretary has reason to believe that effective future operation is assured, he shall return the possession and operation of such plant, facility or other property to the company in possession and control thereof at the time possession was taken under this order.
7. The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to prescribe and issue such regulations and orders not inconsistent herewith as he may deem necessary or desirable for carrying out the purposes of this order; and he may delegate and authorize subdelegation of such of his functions under this order as he may deem desirable.
(2) Proc. 2914, 3 CFR, 1950 Supp., p. 71
(3) 3 CFR, 1951 Supp., p. 425
LIST
American Bridge Company
525 William Penn Place
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
American Steel & Wire Company of New Jersey
Rockefeller Building
Cleveland, Ohio
Columbia Steel Company
Russ Building
San Francisco, California
Consolidated Western Steel Corporation
Los Angeles, California
Geneva Steel Company
Salt Lake City, Utah
Gerrard Steel Strapping Company
2915 West 47th Street
Chicago 32, Illinois
National Tube Company
525 William Penn Place
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Oil Well Supply Company
2001 North Lamar Street
Dallas, Texas
Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company
Fairfield, Alabama
United States Steel Company
525 William Penn Place
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
United States Steel Corporation
71 Broadway
New York 6, New York
United States Steel Products Company
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York
United States Steel Supply Company
208 South La Salle Street
Chicago, Illinois
Virginia Bridge Company
Roanoke, Virginia
Alan Wood Steel Company and Subsidiaries
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
American Chain and Cable Company, Incorporated
929 Connecticut Avenue
Bridgeport 2, Connecticut
American Chain and Cable Company
Monessen, Pennsylvania
Armco Steel Corporation
703 Curtis Street
Middletown, Ohio
Armco Drainage & Metal Products, Incorporated
703 Curtis Street
Middletown, Ohio
Atlantic Steel Company
P. O. Box 1714
Atlanta, Georgia
Babcock and Wilcox Tube Company
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Borg-Warner Corporation
310 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago 4, Illinois
Continental Copper and Steel Industries, Incorporated
Braeburn, Pennsylvania
Continental Steel Corporation
West Markland Avenue
Kokomo, Indiana
Copperweld Steel Company
Glassport, Pennsylvania
Detroit Steel Corporation
1025 South Oakwood Avenue
Detroit 9, Michigan
Eastern Stainless Steel Corporation
Baltimore 3, Maryland
Firth Sterling Steel and Carbide Corporation
Demmler Road
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
Follansbee Steel Corporation
3rd and Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh 22, Pennsylvania
Granite City Steel Company
20th Street and Madison Avenue
Granite City, Illinois
Great Lakes Steel Corporation
Tecumseh Road
Ecorse, Detroit 18, Michigan
Hanna Furnace Corporation
Ecorse, Detroit 18, Michigan
Harrisburg Steel Corporation
10th and Herr Streets
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Boiardi Steel Company
Milton, Pennsylvania
Heppenstall Company
4620 Hatfield Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Inland Steel Company
38 S. Dearborn Street
Chicago 3, Illinois
Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Incorporated
2558 W. 16th street
Chicago 80, Illinois
Interlake Iron Corporation
1900 Union Commerce Building
Cleveland 14, Ohio
Pacific States Steel Corporation
Lathan Square Building
Oakland 12, California
Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical Company
1905 Grant Building
Pittsburgh 19, Pennsylvania
H. I. Porter Company, Incorporated
1932 Oliver Building
Pittsburgh 22, Pennsylvania
Buffalo Steel Division
H. K. Porter Company, Incorporated
Fillmore Avenue
Tonawanda, New York
Joslyn Manufacturing & Supply Company
20 N. Wacker Drive
Chicago 6, Illinois
Joslyn Pacific Company
5100 District Boulevard
Los Angeles 11, California
Latrobe Electric Steel Company
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
E. J. Lavino & Company
1528 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Lukens Steel Company
S. First Avenue
Coatesville Pennsylvania
McLouth Steel Corporation
300 S. Livernois
Detroit 17, Michigan
Newport Steel Corporation
Ninth and Lowell Streets
Newport, Kentucky
Northwest Steel Rolling Mills, Incorporated
4315 9th Street N.W.
Seattle, Washington
Northwestern Steel & Wire Company
Sterling, Illinois
Reeves Steel Manufacturing Company
137 Iron Avenue
Dover, Ohio
John A. Roebling's Sons Company
640 South Broad Street
Trenton, New Jersey
Rotary Electric Steel Company
Box 90
Detroit 20, Michigan
Sheffield Steel Corporation
Sheffield Station
Kansas City 3, Missouri
Shenango-Penn Mold Company
812 Oliver Building
Pittsburgh 30, Pennsylvania
Shenango Furnace Company
812 Oliver Building
Pittsburgh 30, Pennsylvania
Stanley Works
195 Lake Street
New Britain, Connecticut
Universal Cyclops Steel Corporation
Station Street
Bridgeville, Pennsylvania
Vanadium-Alloys Steel Company
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Vulcan Crucible Steel Company
1 Main Street
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Wheeling Steel Corporation
1134 Market Street
Wheeling, West Virginia
Woodward Iron Company
Woodward, Alabama
Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corporation
Oliver Building
Pittsburgh 22, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem Steel Company
701 East 3rd Street
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation
20th & Illinois Streets
San Francisco, California
Bethlehem Supply Company of California
Los Angeles, California
Bethlehem Supply Company
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Buffalo Tank Corporation
Lackawanna, New York
Charlotte, North Carolina
Dunellen, New Jersey
Dundalk Company
Sparrows Point, Maryland
A. M. Byers Company
717 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh 30, Pennsylvania
Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation
575 Madison Avenue
New York 22, New York
Claymont Steel Corporation
Claymont, Delaware
Crucible Steel Company
Oliver Building
Pittsburgh 22 Pennsylvania
Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation
Third Avenue and Ross Street
Pittsburgh 30, Pennsylvania
J. & L. Steel Barrel Company
3711 Sepviva Street
Philadelphia 37, Pennsylvania
National Supply Company
1400 Grant Building
Pittsburgh 30, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Steel Company
1600 Grant Building
Pittsburgh 19, Pennsylvania
Johnson Steel & Wire Company, Incorporated
53 Wiser Avenue
Worcester 1, Massachusetts
Republic Steel Corporation
Republic Building
Cleveland 1, Ohio
Truscon Steel Company
1315 Albert Street
Youngstown, Ohio
Rheem Manufacturing Company
Russ Building
San Francisco 4, California
Sharon Steel Corporation
S. Irvine Avenue
Sharon, Pennsylvania
Valley Mould & Iron Corporation
Hubbard, Ohio
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company
44 Central Square
Youngstown 1, Ohio
Emsco Derrick & Equipment Company
6811 S. Alameda Street
Los Angeles 1, California
HARRY S. TRUMAN
THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 8th, 1952
9:50 p.m. e.s.t.