The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-07-14
NATIONAL CRISIS FACED
BY PRESIDENT WILSON.

leader; Samuel Rea, president Pennsyl-
vania system; Daniel willard, presi-
dent OF the Baltimore & Ohio: Geo. w.
Stevens, president OF the Chesapeake
& Ohio; Frank Trumbull, chairman OF
the executive board Of the Chesapeake
G Ohio; w. G. Brown, president New
York Central; President Wickersham
OF the Aaltnta & West Point; Warren
B. Stone, president Brotherhood OF Lo-
comotive Engineers; w. s. Carter,
president OF the Brotherhood Of Loco
motive Firemen; A. B. Garretson,
president OF the Brotherhood Of Rail-
roa dconductors and w. G.. Lee, presi-
dent OF the Brotherhood Of Railway
Trainmen.
Garretson and Lee enter the confer
ence carrying with them the signed au-
thority OF the rank and file OF their or
ganizations to call the strike at any
moment.
Wilson VIII Prevent.
WASHINGTON, July 14.--President
Wilson is determined to prevent a
general tie-up OF the great trunk line
systems of the United States. The
roads must settle their difficulties with
their employees without a strike. How
they are to be brought together is a
matter of detail to be worked out but
the president made it very plain from
his vacation trip to New Himpshirc
that he does not intend that the threat
ened strike of both trainmen and con-
ductors shall materialize. The first
thing the president did when he got to
his office was to send for all docu-
ments bearing upon the case. Then he
completed plans for his own participa-
tion in the conference Asked wheth-
er he would back up Secretary of La
Dor Wilson in his advocacy OF the Clay
ton amendment which would give the
labor department control over the me-
diation and conciliation board Of six to
replace the board created under the
Erdman act, or would back up the
railroad men and railroad officials and
the National Civic Federation fayoring
the NeWlands amendmen making the
board Independent, the president said
he had taken no positive position. But
his next answer showed that he belieY-
ed that there had been too much eff
fort on some ones part to make a
contention of this question. He stated
bit was not SO much question as who
should control the board as to getting
lit created and into action. If neces-
sary the president will act like Colonel
Roosevelt in the anthracite strike and
will call on both Sides publicly to ac-
cept arbitration. The conductors and
trainmen are on record as willing to do
SO and the president does not believe
the roads will refuse If approached by
him.
So far as the afternoon conference
was concerned, while he had no set
program, the president stated that he
did not intend to sit idle but would get
| together with all of the participants
and try to find common ground of
agreement. The act creating the de-
lpartment of labor is a broad one and
| If everything else failed the president
might find way through that depart
ment to force arbitration
1t was generally accepted at the
Legislative offices that at the afternoon
conference the Newlands amendment
to the Erdman act would be approved
and that house leaders would agree to
hurry its passage through that body by
tonight and that the president would
Immediately sign it. Then 1t is ex-
pected the railroads will reopen the
correspondence with the conductors
land trainmen, ask for resolution un-
der the new law and thus end what is
at present most critical situation
4 All heads Of the railroad brother
hoods now here are refusing to talk for
publication but privately say they
would ask the president to favor the
Newlands amendment which has al.
ready passed the senate. The big rail,
road chiefs who are due this afternoon
will ask the same thing, and with capt
4 tai and labor united it was thought
that the house leaders would back
down and accept the senate measure.
4 (Continued on page 2)