The Topeka state journal., 1916-08-03
Urge Inquiry on Behalf of
Administration.
HE CALLS CONSULTATION
COnfers on Situation With
Board of Mediation.
Towns as Well as Cities Would
Suffer Food Shortage.
BY ROBERT J. BENDER.

Washington, Aug. IA problem.
tremendously dangerous in both its
economic and political aspects" faces
President Wilson in the threatened
strike of 400, 900 railroad trainmen,
according to administration officials
I today.
The matter is now directly before
the president in form of a letter from
Chairman Harry A. Wheeler, of the
railway committee of the United
States Chamber of Commerce. The
letter urges an inquiry on behalf OF
the administration" to investigate the
J impending crisis. Scores of informal
requests for action also have been re-
ceived. However, until the trainmen's s
strike vote is counted-expected Au-
gust THE president probably Will
| decide no course of action
Would Stop Grain Shipments.
| From an economic standpoint, the
strike, if called, would assume cata-
/ clysmic proportions in the belief of
| officials here. 1t would completely tie
up freight traffic throughout the
country. halting grain shipments. food
and supplies of all kinds to an extent
and with results impossible to fore
cast.
! The smaller towns would suffer
most, it is Observation-Disclosures those
which are not self-supporting or with
in a territory supplying food. Mining
! towns where supplies for only two or
/ three days are kept, would be in i'm
mediate danger of starvation or COM
| plete business collapse as its people
| left for other points. Losses. accord
| ing to government officials would
mount into hundreds of millions of
dollars.
Situation Full of Dynamite
From political standpoint. the
presidents position, in attempting to
bring about an adjustment of the diff
! ficulty, is ':full of dynamite according
to his advisers.
President Wilson today requested a
conference with Commissioner Cham
| bers of the United States board of me-
diation and conciliation, presumably
| to discuss the threatened strike of the
big four brotherhoods of railway men,
which would cause nationwide tie
up of transportation
| Unions Won't Arbitrate.
The trainmen say they won't arbi-
trate. and the railroads say they won
yield. Should the president, by shirt
sleeve diplomacy demand arbitration,
he would face resentment of several
| hundred thousand laboring men If
he fails to bring about arbitration or a
settlement he will find himself faced
by a paralyzed transportation sys-
tenn, resulting in tremendous usiness
| confusion and vast suffering Hence,
| friends of the president are hoping
and praying that when the executive
board of the big four brotherhoods
and the general conference commit
tee of tho roads resumes conferences
in New York. August 8. they may
come to some satisfactory agreement.
Administration officials. representa-
tives of the roads and labor. however,
are pessimistic over possible agree
! ment at that conference. The presi-
dent is being kept informed promptly
of every move in the threatened crisis
When the vote of the trainmcn is
counted-and 1t is assumed 1t will
favor a strike-the United States
board of mediation and conciliatien
will at once offer it's services. In the
event of this board failing to bring
peace-and perhaps coincident with
the launching of its efforts-the pres
ident may attempt to prevent the
IStri !