Bisbee daily review., 1916-08-22
President Makes Stirring Ap- peal to Railroad Officials to
 Accept His Plan for the Set clement of Possible Strike.
EXECUTIVES DO NOT
 GIVE FINAL ANSWER
Wilson Declares Railroads Es- sential to the National Serv- ice of Defense During the Present Critical Situation.
(By Review Leased Wire.l

WASHINGTON. Aug. 21.-As one American citizen to another. Presi- dent Wilson today appealed to each of theexecutives of the country's principal railroads on grounds of patriotism to accept his plan for averting the threatened disaster of a nationwide strike. He emphasized the necessity for keeping the rail- roads in service as a part of the na- tional defense and to make possible preparations for meeting conditions that will exist after the European war. On leaving the White House the railroad presidents. augmented during the day by the arrival from the west, held a conference at which sentiment was sai dto be against agreeing to the Presidents proposal in its present form Hop ewas ex- pressed. however. that some satis- factory counter proposition might be advanced. and it was decided to turn over to a commission the task of drafting a final reply to the President With more than sixty men, most of them with their own ideas about what ought to be done. the execu- tives found it difficult to "get down to brass tacks." as one of them ex- pressed it. Tomorrow morning an- other meeting will be held and every effort will be mad etc reach \ de- eision promptly.
 The railroad heads still insist that President Wilson is asking them to sacrifice the principle of arbitration Elisha Lee. chairman of the national conference committee of railways. is sued statement tonight in which he said:
 That the railroads should grant under threat of a national strike $50. O.OO0.O 900 wage preferement to a small minority of their employees. without a hearing before a public tribunal is inconceivsble in a demo cracy like ours. All questions at Is sue-wages. hours. costs. operating conditions-are submerged by the greater issue: Shall arbitration be abandoned in the settlement of in dustrial disputes"
 The statement suggests. however. that the railroads stand ready to take whatever action the people and the country desire. It concludes:
 The weight of public opinion must determine this issue. We cannot be lieve that it is the salm judgment of the country that we should sacrifice the principle of arbitration in in- dustrial disputes under threat to tie up the commerce of the country.
 While the officials were listening to President Wilson and. later conferrins at their hotel. the general committee of $40 representatives of the employees who already have accepted the Presi- dents plan. held perfunctory meet ing and marked time awaiting the decision of the employees. They said they would wait until President Will son dismissed them. but stood ready to call a strike should the negotiatiOns fail
 Although a few of the railroad eX- ecutives invited had not arrived this afternoon. it was decided thst those already in WsshingtOn were repre- sentative. and therefore the President called them to the White House and earnestly urged that his plan of set clement be ratified.
 'I will not allow passion to come | into my thouchts. in this solemn mat ter" he said We are both acting as trustees of great interests. 1 am willing to allow this matter to go to ! the great American jury and let them assume the responsibility. The re- snonsibility of failure will not rest with me
 q wish you to consider the conse- uuences as affecting the people of their cities and countryside of a
 Continued on Page Two)