Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-08-05
THE BRoTHERHooDs' SUBMARINE WARFARE

In the dispatches yesterday concerning the impending
strike Of the railroad boherhoods this paragraph
"The railroads and the National Chamber of Commerce
had requested investigation of the whole wage sub
ec The brotherhoods opposed this the ground that
the strike purely matter between themselves and
the road officials If the brotherhoods are as wrong in
their contentious they in this view of the matter
they have at all. In strikes this might be
true but in this it is far from it. The railroads are
public utilities which the entire people Of the United
States rely The public is therefore not only much in
terested in the matter the railroads botherhoods
but in larger degree. Railroad transportation is an
absolute necessity to the life of the nation 1t is neces
sy to the lives of the people, Without it, barring all the
interference with business and the tremendous financial
losses that would follow its SOppage the lives OF the peo
pie depend upon it. The larger cities would in short
time be without food supplies, fuel and all other neces
sares OF life. Within twenty four hours the lives of
thousands of babies would be endangered through depv
alton of the usual milk supply The sick and the dying
would ask in vain for the presence of loved ones In
short nation of 1O0000000 people would be left stranded
and thrown back century in means of communication
Even the autos could not be relied for local service for
there would soon be a shortage of gasoline.
1t is the nation interested not the parties to the dis
pue 1t is for the latter and each of the to settle their
quarrel in manner that does not Interfere with the
rights of neutrals. The principle is involved that
cropped up in the dispute submarine warfare The
United States stands in the relation to the quarrel
ling parties that it did to the submarines. 1t did not un
dertake to stop this kind of warfare but insisted that it
be conducted in such not to endanger the lives
of neutralS.
The brotherhoods strike is in the nature of the sub
marine The United States does not undertake to
say that strikes shall not exist but it will insist that they
be carried in such that the lives of Americans
not endangered If the brotherhoods can fire tor
pedo into the railroads in such way that American lives
not endangered neutral business destroyed it will
not interfere; but governments for the protection of
the whole people and will not stand idly by while the
people are starved as the result of quarrel between
factions.
Both the railroads and the railroad employees have a.
duty perform the public and it is up both to set
tie their troubles in such not to interfere
with that pubics rights.
We not pretending to pass judgment the merits
of the dispute but simply to call attention to what both
disputants owe to the balance of the country.
The brotherhoods it to themselves and to their
order to see it that that order does become in
jury to their fellow citizens. Should wiser counsels be
ignored and the strike be carried out blow will be-
struck at unonsm from which it is extremely doubtful if
it ever recovers No order exist without public sen
ment behind it. Unionism has the sympathy and
support of majority of the people of the United States
Can any believe that sympathy will survive business
disaster? the deaths of countless babies? hunger and the
hundreds of mseres that will certainly follow the pro-
posed strike? Disaster be brought the country
once in this manner but it is moral certainty that steps
will be taken provide against its repetition 1t may
mean the taking of the railroads by the government
1t may something else, but will surely mean some
thing that will prevent the recurrence of the strike it
comes.