The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-02
The Invitations.
White House,
Washington. October 1. 1902.

OONCP1A
 George F. Bear president Reading Railway system, Philadelphia, Pa.
 ''W H. Truesdale president Delaware, Laekawanna and Western Railroad com pany, No. 2e Exchange Place. N. Y.
 "E. B. Thomas, chairman o1 the board. Erie Railroad company A cortlandt street, New York.
 Thomas F. Fowler, president New York, Ontario and Western ISfiroad com psny, 66 Beaver street New Y-1
 R M Oliphant, rresident Delaware end Hudson, New York
 John Marl1le, 527 West Thirty-fourth street, New York
 T should greatly like to see you on Friday next, October 8, at Il o'clock a. m, here in Washington, in regard to the failure of the coal supply, which has be- come matter of vital concern to the whole nation.
 have sent similar dispatch to MT John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers of America
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
 John Mitchell, President United Mine Workers of America, Wilkesbarre. Pa
 T should greatly like to see you on Friday next, October 3, ar II o'clock a. m., here in Washington, in regard to the failure of the coal supply, which has be j.
 
 whole nation.
 T have sent a similar dispatch to tho presidents of the anthracite coal com panies. THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
 Throw Aside False Pride.
 At the meeting Friday the line of ap- proach toward a settlement of the strike will be an appeal by President Roosevelt to both sides to come together as men and not allow false pride or a feeling of obstinacy to stand in the way of the termination of the great strike, which is frauEht with such threat of misery to thousands of people. It is stated by one of the Presidents advisors that beyond this the President cannot go. He has no powers of compulsion to bring into play against either side, and he must rely upon the persuasive ability of his appeals to their sense of humanity if anything tangible is to be accomplished
 The President intends to lay before his hearers the situation as it appears to him, with all the prospective horrors that will follow fuel famine, and will urge them, in the interests of humanity to open the mines and supply the demand for coal. The President has taken this action because he feels 1t to be his duty to do so as the executive head of na- ton threatened with great peril.
 The President has in sense taken upon himself the burdens of an arbi- trator in this great dispute between capi- tai and labor and though the arbitration is not compulsory and is not even known under the name of arbitration in any of the invitations issued today it is the hope of the President and his advisers that 1t will be effective. Just how, no one can say though there is the sugges- ton of a temporary arrangement which will tide over the cold weather.
 No Political Purpose.
 It Is said by member of the cabinet that there is no political purpose in this effort, but that the President is moved to exert his influence solely in the interests Of the people.
 Tn the other attempts, 1t is said, the operators felt that politics was the most prominent motive.
 In this connection the story Is revived of the settlement of the strike in 1900. The operators claim that when that strike was settled under stress of a political exigency the way was paved for the pres ent strike. They also claim that the strikers have hoped that political inf1u- ence would again be exerted in their be- half and the operators compelled to make further concessions. The efforts of Senators Quay and Penrose of Pennsyl- vania Senator Platt of New York and Governor Stone of Pennsylvania have been pointed out as a verification of the claim of the operators All this. they have asserted, is due to the settlement which was made in 1900. All these vari- ous questions have been discussed during the past few days. together with the le- gal situation and the power of the fed eral government in the premises, and the conclusion was reached that the Presf- dent could do more by bringing the fn- terested parties together than in any other way
 No Outsiders to Be Present.
 There will be no one present at Fri days meeting at the temporary Wnite House but the principals It Is true that Friday is cabinet day and that Il o'clock the hour appointed in the invitations for the meetings of the magnates IS the usual hour of assembling of the cabinet, but according to the present under standing that cabinet meeting will be postponed. The purpose of the post ponement is plainly to relieve the invited