New York, May 11.
Dr, John Stedman, Federal negotia-for in the soft coal industry strike in which 460,000 men are idle, said last night that he believed there was some.
hope that mine operations might be resumed soon.
He said, however, that he did not mean there would be an immediate break in the situation which finds mine operators and union representatives deadlocked in negotiations for a new contract.
His statement was interpreted to mean that there was no hope that the negotiators would comply with President Roosevelt's urgent request that some formula be found for resuming mine operations within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the negotiators met jointly in New York for the first time since their conference with President Roosevelt and the Secretary of Labour, Miss Frances Perkins,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.