Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-08-22
Presidents Plea to Accept His Plan to Avert Strike
 Not Heeded.
EXECUTIVES WILL
 DRAFT PROPOSAL
Insisting Upon Arbitration by Public Body of All Questions, Railway Presidents tO Make Counter
 Proposition.

I Washington, Aug 21.-As one
 American citizen to another, Presi-
 dent Wilson today appealed to each of
 the executives of the country's prin-
 cipal railroads on the ground of pa triotism to accept his plan for avert
 ing the threatened disaster of a na- tion wide strike. He emphasized the
 necessity for keeping the railroads in service as part of the national de- fense and to make possible prepara- tons from meeting conditions that will exist after the European war.
 Upon leaving the white house, the railroad presidents, augmented dur ing the day by arrivals from the West, was said to be against agreeing to the presidents proposal in it's pres ent form. Hope was expressed how proposal might be advanced, and it was decided to turn over to a com mittee the task of drafting final reply to the president. With more than 60 men, most of them with their own ideas about what ought to be done, the executives found it difficult to "get down to brass tacks." as one of them expressed it. Tomorrow morning another meeting will be held, and every effort is being made to reach a satisfactory solution. While the officials were listening to President Wilson and later con- ferring in their hotel the general committee of $40 representatives of the employees, who already had ac- cepted the presidents plan, held perfunctory meeting and marked time waiting
 They said they would wait until President Wilson dismissed them, but stood ready to call strike should the negotiations fail.
 Although few of the railroad ex- ecutives had not arrived, it was de- cided that those already here should meet with the president.
 Pictures Result of Strike.
 q will not allow passion to come into my thought in this solemn mat ter" said President Wilson, in ad- dressing the railroad presidents. '4We are both acting as trustees of great interests. I am willing to allow this matter 10 go to the great American jury, and let them assume the re- sponsibility. The responsibility of failure will not rest with me- I wish you to consider the conditions, as af- fecting the people of the cities and countryside, of a failure to agree. The country cannot live if the means of keeping alive it's vitality are inter- fered with. The lives and fortunes of 100,0C0000 men, women and little ones, many of whom may died, de- bends upon what may he done in these rooms. I appeal to you, as one American citizen to another, to avert this disaster"
 The president spoke in more inti- mate fashion than he has in any of the previous conferences. He referred to the disastrous effect the strike would have, especially at this time when every ounce of energy and ini- tiative has to be mobilized to meet the extraordinary situation which may out of the European war"
 Reiterating that it was impossible for him to bring about arbitration un- der present conditions, the president declared it was necessary to discuss practical methods.
 The war he said. had taught this country that it can no longer remain isolated and provincial: that i've must be ready to play our role as one of the dominant influences in the worlds affairs"
 Our great natural resources can not be made available or mobiliZed in this emergency as a necessary part of national 6efense," he said, unless the railroads are made a ser instrumeniality for backing up any plan of national preparation"
 The railroad executives did not en- ter into an. argument, but Hale Hold en, president of the Burlington, and spokesman of the executives, prom ised due consideration of the plan.
 SOs0OO N0n.UniOn Men Oppose.
 Messages on the situation continued to arrive at the white house. Many upheld the presidents position and many urged support of the railroads.
 A petition signed by 10000 non union employees of the Pennsylvania opposing a strike of the members of the four great brother hoods, was taken to the white house tonight, making a total of 80,000 names to such petitions already filed.
 A. B. Garretson. spokesman for the declined to make any on the railroad managers statement. Any reply. he said, would
 tinued on page .sixJ