The Washington times., 1915-08-27
COAL OPERATORS ARE
BLAMED FOR STRIKE
George P. West, Of Industrial
: Relations Commission, in
Report, Scores Rockefeller.

Responsibility for the strike Of coal
miners in Colorado In 1913 and 1914 is
placed on the shoulders Of operators. In
a report by George p. West made pub
lie today by the Commission on Indus
trial Relations.
What Is characterized as ruthless
policy Of suppression OF news 1s
charged against the Colorado Fuel and
Iron Company. and It Is alleged further
that 'union educational campaign
in which a highly paid publicity expert
was engaged to get college professors
to write articles denouncing trades
unions, was carried on by the company.
The company, controlled by John ID.
Rockefeller, is declared to have been
the leader in formulating and carrying
out strike policies.
Rockefellers Are Criticised.
Mr.. Rockefeller and his son. John D.
Rockefeller, jr.. are charged with tho
selection Of incompetent and reaction
ary agents to serve as executive Off
cials of the company, and with giving
their Endorsement and support to these
officials after they had taken action
which precipitated the worst. OF the
strike troubles. ...,.
The report says: ..:
months that preceded Ludlow, Mr.
Rockefeller wrote letter after letter in
enthusiastic praise Of men whose acts
during this period had h,d,dsSsd H,eediptateg was
only when the Ludlow massacre hlled
the press Of the nation with editorlsl
denunciation, when mourners IN plack
silently paraded In front OF f,s th. e~ ron.
servative press pilloried him ana n.s
father before an angry public. tnat AT
last compla cency gives way to concern
in his letters and kilograms to denver.
A Nation Wide Campaign.
In regard to the responsibility Tor
the alleged publicity campaign. the
report states:
"The nationwide Significance ana
inheritance Of the Colorado conflict
and the company's ruthless policy OF
suppression are emphasized again
ard again. BY June, 1914. Mr; RocKe-
feIier has formulated something like
definite plan t for h;shiy Tst,rn-w,% nsiS G puh-
iicity expert in the country has been
borrowed from a great eastern rait-
way, TO be taken over later as per-
manent member or MI; NJ R0Csr,e,,e csmes;an:
is to be conducted. and the country ~
to be flooded with articles by college
professors and others bitterly de.
nouncing trade unions: And =. AZ % tne
culate Prof. Stevenson's intemperatG
and amazing defense OF industrial
absolutism and TRADE against trades
unions. Mr. Eoek.fsiisr aS x;nr fnsists ..ners .ne
on industrial relations. TO devise
, srecious substitutes for trade unions
that will deceive. mollity. and sooth
public opinion while bulwarlttnR the
employers arbitrary control.
Stripped of Liberties.
| Officers Of the company are criti-
cized for "rebnffing" President Will
SON in his efforts to bring about/a
settlement. The political influence Of
the company and its associates Is de-
clared to be greater today than ever
before.
| Governor Carlson and Attorney Gen.
eral Farrar are condemned IN the her. re-,
officials and strikers and the case
OF John r: Lawson. member OF the
executive board Of the United Mine
Workers Of America, Is reviewed ut
In discussing the causes Of the
strike. the report asserts. "the Col
orado strike was q revolt by whole
nomie' n"m"n9.iHt poIiticai' A and social domina-
ton by the Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company and the smaller coal COM
panies that followed its lead
|
has been carried to such an extreme
that two entire counties of southern
Colorado for years have been de-
prived Of popular government. while
large groups OF their citizens have
been stripped Of their libArties. robbed
Of portions Of their earnings, sub
jected to ruthless persecution and
abuse, and reduced to a state Of eco
nomic and political serfdom. ~
| Nations Will Flouted.
"Not only the government of these
counties, but OF the State has been
brought under this domination and
forced or induced to do the companies
bidding. and the same companies have
flouted the will of the people of the
nation as expressed by the President
of the United States"
The report contains extracts from
the correspondence between Messrs
Bowers and Rockefeller.
Enough has been told" conclules
that portion reviewing the beginnings
Of the strike. Ito prove that a. spirit
Of accommodation or Cancellation al
no time actuated either the Colorado
operators or Mr.. Rockefeller"