New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-07
Men Rushed to Guard In
terborough Lines as
Workers Quit.
5000 PATROLMEN
FORM SPECIAL UNIT
Act in Accordance with
Plans Long Arranged
by Heads of Force.

Five thousand policemen are now
or strike duty. guarding the property
of the 81" and subway lines. Thu
rumber will be increased, Deputy
Commissioner Cooley, acting for Pc
lice Commissioner Arthur Woods. who
is on his vacation. said at l1:45 las'
night. as emergencies arise.
The men are stationed in police sta
tons near the seats OF expected
trouble. They are working under
three platoon system. 1t is expected
that they will work under two
platoon system within the next lie"
hours, which will mean that the mer
on vacation will be called IN; th'
policemen will lose their day OIL; they
will be allowed 20 60 home only a.
, meal times; and they will work under
these regulations for eight or ten day:
il necessary.
Police plans to deal with a strike or
the lnterborough subway and elevated
roads and the surface lines were com
pleted yesterday by Deputy Commits
sioner Cooley, Chief Inspector Ma,
/ ScnmlIIDtEHeI
and Dillon. The force of 5000 men VII
act in accordance with plan whicf
contemplates the strike situation II
three possible phases.
Phase one was for an orderly walkout
In this the union men, obeying instruc
tions from their leaders, after giyer
hour would run their trains and cars
into barns and leave them. The army
Of strikebreakers, already moblllzed
would take their places at once, an'
service would be resumed with th'
slightest possible interruption, If th'
plans of the traction company lieu
tenants succeeded.
Word of this activity would b'
flashed to each police station, and a
once the patrolmen, already on de
tail. would become units of the strike
battalion, comprising one-third OF th'
entire available force. The first police
move would be to station men aoou
the barns, shops and subway and ele
waited stations TO protect company prop
erty. For this enterprise not all OF th'
strike force would be needed. Th'
other policemen would go about thell
regular duties.
Should isolated cases of violence e
strikebresking motormen, conductor
or guards be reported, Chief Schmitt
berger would call into play the seconC
step in the general strike plan. Or
lines where there was trouble one pc
lceman would be posted on every car
Guards about stations would also bt
increased TO fill needs.
The third strike phase considered in
creased disturbance on the part OF th'
union men. In that case, two uni
formed policemen would ride on every
surface car and each elevated and sub
way train. Two men were sufficient or
the subway and a." Inspector Cohen
explained.
ut would be a simple matter" he
said. "in case of emergency to halt the
trains between stations and arrest the
disturbers. Not unless the strike, il
there is one, should grow extremely
serious will all of the 5000 men be &C
lively engaged. The measures taken
are merely precautionary. But the de
partmert il ready"
Between 700 and 800 policemen nov
on vacations have not been notified but
the whereabout OF each one is known
and in case of emergency can be sum
moned back 10 uniform on short notice
Likewise 375 men at the training camp
at Fort Wadsworth may be had II
needed.