The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-07-14
First One During Present Ad-
ministration is Talked Over
This Afternoon in the
White House.
GREAT RAILWAY STRIKE
Men of Eastern Roads Have
Voted to Strike Unless Their
Demands for Increased
Wages Are Granted.

IBy John Edwin Nevin, Staff Cor
respondent of the United Press.l
WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE VIII
son administration faced It's first ma
&tional crisis today. Returning from q
&brief vacation, the president plunged
Into the thick OF one of the biggest
problems OF recent years. The threat
of conductors and trainmen OF eastern
lines to strike II their demands are
Edenied is no idle boast and their dec
flarations that the railroads are anxious
| to force strike to get public senti-
ment behind request for permission
to increase freight and possibly pas
fsenger rates has been seriously re-
ceived. The roads deny this but the
men charge that the very fact that ey-
cry big eastern system is prepared to
order out guards. detectives and strike
breakers at a cost OF more money
than it would require to grant the ask
4 ed for Increase In wages" proves the
Scontention.
Today's conference scheduled to be-
N "a at g o'clock in President Wilson's
Spriyales office was arranged by Sec
s6tary of Labor William 3. Wilson. He
efed 1T the request Of the National
Civic Federation which realixed full
well how serious general strike
would be at the present time. 1t must
inevitably affect every system in the
country az the members of the Order
OF Railroad Conductors and the Broth
erhood of Railway Trainmen in the
south and west have already made 1T
very plain that they would not haul
trains turned over to them by east
ern roads. Although bound by con
tracts not to strike by their brother
hood, engineers and firemen sympa-
thize with the conductors and train
men.
The Brotherhood OF Firemen and
Enginemen especially can be expected
to help the trainmen In every way ex-
cepting actually striking because these
men assert unqualifiedly that the east
ern railroads have not kept the faith.
! Forced to arbitrate under the Erdman
ac. to avoid strike, the engineers
and firemen claim the officials of the
roads are evading, wherever possible
compliance with the mandate OF the
/ arbitrators.
4 For the first time since the organiza'
4 ton OF til separate units OF the rail
road mems unions there is friendship
and a general understanding among
all Of them. In the past the railroad
officials could play one organization
against another and by taking advant
age OF jealousies existing gain dectd
ed strategic advantage.
But 1t is not SO now, and no one
realizes this fact more fully thar
President Wilson. It was very plair
. from his attitude when he reached
here this morning, he was determined
to do every thing possible to get the
\ warning sides together. How to dt
this was for the conference to worl
out.
The official statement issued from
the Office Of Secretary Of Labor VIII
son said the following would partici
pate: The president; Secretary viii
son, Senator Newlands, secretary O
the interstate commerce commission
Representative Clayton. chairman o
the house judiciary committee; Repre
sentative James R. Mann, minority