Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-08-15
ARMY MIGHT BE
USED TO KEEP
TRAINS MOVING
Presidents Broad Police
Powers Enable Him to De-
clare Martial Law.

Wilson fails 70 persuade the railroad
men and their employers to settle
heir differences and a general strike
is called il will be directed from
headquarters in this city. This an
nouncement was made today as the
leaders of the four big railway broth
erhGods and the railroad managers
reached Washington for conference
with the head of the nation
At brotherhood headquarters. il
was said that all preparations had
been made for putting into effect
strike that would stop every train.
passenger and freight. on the 225
railway systems ofNhe United States.
The critical state of sffairs was indi-
Gated by the anxiety displayed in
every big industry. which would be
crippled by the failure of transporta-
ton.
UNLESS the president can find <
way out it means strike said A.
B. Garretson, president of the Order
of Railway Trainmen and official
spokesman of the employees. as he
boarded the train for Washington at
midnight
ference committee of railroad mana
gers, who, with the Is members of his
committee, went to Washington on
the same train that carried the 80
representatives of the brotherhood
delegates. placed responsibility upon
the men for the failure of attempts
at mediation. Mr. Garreison said the
unbending attitude of the railroad
managers was to blame for the break
The president. in his letter pointed
out that a general strike at this time
might have disastrous effect upon
the country, and said
81 feel that | have the right. there
fore. to request. and I do hereby re-
quest. as the head of the government,
that before any final decision is ar
rived at, | may have q personal con-
ference with YOU here
Recall Cleyeland's Action.
Authorities here declared while the
national labor laws gave the presi-
dent no right to interfere officially.
the broad police powers Invested in
him gave him power 10 put soldiers
on the trains and even &c declare
martial law if he believed the peril
Of the situation called for such dras-
tic measures. Attention was called
to the last national railroad strike in
1894, when President Cleveland used
| the regular army to guard locomotives
and cars.
The tension in business circles here
| today showed a realization of the
acute danger of national calamity.
An aggregate of financial losses, run
J,,t, N1yl,D
| lions, labor idleness and food priva-
| ton were some of the possibilities
| which strike presented.
1t was to be remembered, business
| men said, that there is scarcely fac
tory of any Importance which does
| not depend on railroad for lis pro-
| Ducts. A strike, for instance would
mean that the steel mills of Pitts
! burg will be cut Off from their ore
supplies in Michigan and Wisconsin,
| .he automobile industries of Michigan
| from supplies of steel from Pittsburg
! he cotton mills of New England from
their cotton from the South, the gar
| ment manufacturers of New York
from their cloth from New England,
| and every industry everywhere will
| be cut off from coal to feed their fur
naces and dynamos.
| OF more immediate seriousness
| would be the question of food sup
| ply. The large communities which
receive he bulk OF their food from
long distances would be forced to re-
| " on what products could be brough.
III by wagon, automobile, trolley or
| vessel.
| The suspension of the country's ex-
| ports, the congestion of imports at
coast cities. the stranding of hun
dredss of thousands OF travellers and
summer resort visitors far from their
| homes-these are other possibilities
| which the strike situation presents. to
| say nothing of its effect on the rail-
| roads themselves and their employees.
| The otal capitalization of the rail
| roads in the country amounts to more
| than S2G 100000, and heir gross
| revenue has been estimated at more
than $4,000,000, 600 on the basis of re-
cent reports.
The latest estimates available show
| that the railroads operate 251,9S4
| miles Of lines and transport annually
| .o33 ,619.6S0 passengers. The passen-
ger cars have been COMMITTED AFT ~ L.