The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-08-23
WILSON REPLIES
TO CONVENTIONS
In the Great Railroad
Strike Question.
A DEFENSE MADE IN RESPONSE
To Appeal From George Pope
Denies Plan Weakens Arbi.
tratiOn Principles.
SETTLEMENT EXPECTED SOON

Washington, Aug. 20.-President
Wilson work of conferences with
ranking officials of the railroads and
leaders of their employees threaten
ing nationwide strike, are believ-
ed by all parties to the controversy
to have brought the situation to a
point where decisive developments
may come within a few days. While
the negotiations took no actual for
ward step to-day the President re-
piled indirectly to contentious of the
road officials that the principle of
arbitration would be endangered by
his plan for putting the eight-hour
basic day into effect while corl-
mission investigates It's praCticabitiLy
and passes upon other points at is
sue. In a telegram made public or
| the White House the President de-
clarad he held firmly to arbitration
as a principle and that his plan
strengthened rather than weakened
| it, He also said that some means
must be found to prevent the exist
ing situation from ever arising
again.
Meantime the road officials who
have tentatively refused to accept Mr..
Wilson's proposal continued confer
ences among themselves. The labor
leaders, who have already approved
the proposal, marked time awaiting
definite decision from the EN-
ployers.
The Presidents telegram defead-
ing his plan was in reply to an APP
peal from George Pope, president of
the National Association of Manu-
facturers, urging that the principle
of arbitration be preserved in the
strike negotiations. Mr.. Pope's tele-
gram follows:
Hartford, Conn.-The President,
White House.-On behalf of 3,7OOl
manufacturing organizaV ons, en-
ploying 100000 persons, and ut
terly dependent upon uninterrupted
railroad service for their continued
operation, | beg to at once express |
our deep appreciation of your Ell
forts to prevent the threatened de- /
structive stoppage of national rail |
way service, and to respectfully |
urge that you with all the power of
your great office and personality as
sert and maintain the principle Of
arbitration for industrial disputes |
affecting national intercourse. No |
just demand can fear such a test, no
unfair demand can or should survive
it. We sincerely believe no man in
our history has possessed such an
opportunity to fortify this essential
principle of public security against
future attack by employe.
GEORGE POPE.
President National Association of
Manufacturers.
Presidents Reply.
The President replied:
ALLOW me to acknowledge the re
ceipt of your telegram of August s
and to say in reply that | hold to
the principle of arbitration with as
clear a conviction and as firm a pur-
htIt |
nately. there is no means now in ex-
istence by which arbitration can be
secured. The existing means have
been tried and have failed. This
situation must never be allowed to
arise again. but il has arisen. Some
means must be found to prevent its
recurrence, but no means can be
found otf-hand or in hurry or In ,
season to meet the present national
What | am proposing
does not weaken or discredit the
principle of arbitration. 1t strength /,
Ems it. rather Ii proposes that
lothing be conceded except the
sight-hour day to which the whole
movement OF the time
seems to point. and the immediate
,reation of an agency for determin- /,
ng all the arbitrable elements in
his case in the light, not of predic-
ions or forecasts. but os established
md ascertained facts. This is the '
irst stage OF the direct road to the I
discovery OF the pest permanent ba- Q