The Washington times., 1914-08-01
WILSON PLEADS TO
AVERT RAIL STRIKE
Meets Managers Committee
and Hundred Delegates of
Employees.

President Wilson and the represent
atives OF the ninety-eight railroads west
of the Mississippi river and represent
atives of their employees are engaged
this afternoon In a conference that win
determine finally whether the railway
men will strike next Friday.
Upon the decision. It is believed, hangs
In the balance food or famine for mil
lions Of people in this country and In
Europe.
The railroads are represented in the
conference by committee Of mana
gers The engineers and firemen are
represented by their organization COM
mittee.
Realizing the gravity OF the situation.
President Wilson g doing his utmost to
bring employers and employees together.
II Is realized At the White House that
the welfare OF the millions OF Americans
is dependent upon the success or failure
Of the Presidents appeal. That he IS
facing a difficult situation Is shown oy
the fact that the Federal Board Of Me-
diation and Arbitration failed utterly
to bring any agreement between the
railroad officials and the men
Conferees Swamp Office.
The conference was begun at . o'clock
this afternoon. Owing to the great
number of conferees, the Executive Or
fees were swamped before the rival
factions were received by the President.
and il was necessary to seek a con-
ference room more commodious than
the executive offices.
A total of 550cG men, employed on
railroads are involved IN
the threatened strike.
Dependent upon the outcome OF the
is the problem OF handing
and shipping the bumper grain crops
being harvested in the West, and the
handling of hundreds Of cars Of perish
able food and fruits shipped daily from
the Pacific coast All Of the traffic
would be tied up by strike. Farmers
with tremendous crops would face ruin.
II Is declared, while the country would
pay fancy food prices or starve.
Food, not only for the United States,
but for the warning countries Of Eu-
rope as well. Is dependent upon the
railroads involved.
The committee OF managers of the
Western roads was the first received by
the President, shortly after o'clock
The representatives Of the men, nearly
100 OF them. are to confer with the
President at o'clock, and after that 1t
Is probable that an effort will be made
to bring the two committees together.
win Ask Both Sides Yield.
President Wilson viii urge concessions
upon both sides. and submission of the
issues to arbitration. unless an flnmedi-
ate agreement can be reached
With SO much at stake, President WI
son went into the conference hopeful
that both sides win yield for the good
Of humanity.
The managers committee received at
O'Clock consists OF: A w. Trenholm,
chairman. general manager of the Chi
cago. St Paul, Minneapolis and Oma-
ma; J. w. Higgins, general manager Of
L n RoNn
president Baltimore and Ohio, Chicago
terminal; p. II. Morrissey. assistant to
vice president. Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy; p. c. Hart, general manager,
Chicago, Milwaukee and St Paul; d.
W. Campbell, assistant general man.
ager, Southern Pacific, Pacific system;
Grant Hall. general manager. Canadian
Pacific. western lines; ]. II. Keefe, as
sistant general manager, Gulf. Colo
RADIO and Santa Fe; W. s. Martin, gen
eral manager, Denver and Ric Grande;
w. ]. Tollerton. general mechanical
Chicago. Rock Island
and Pacific; H. NJ. curry. mechanical
superintendent Northern Pacific; N. ].
Buckley, general superintendent. Ore
gon- Washington railroad and Naviga-
ton Company.
The organization committee of the
engineers and firemen, representing
S. 900 men, consists Of Warren S.
Stone, grand chief Brotherhood OF Lo- :
Engineers; W. S. Carter, pres
ldent Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men and Enginemen, and about 100
others.