Evening star., 1916-08-20
President Is Emphatic.


Solemnly Mr.. Wilson pointed out that
he represented the 1o0.Oo0,OOO people
of the nation, every one of whom had
a deep interest in the threatened strike.
He said his only object was to avoid a
break.
In voice rising at times so that it
could be heard outside the closed
doors, he declared he had tried to bring
about arbitration, that his efforts had
failed, and that he had no way of
forcing its acceptance. Congress, he
declared. would not pass compulsory
arbitration law.
Refusing acceptance for the present,
but not giving a final answer. Hale
Holden, president OF the Burlington
roads and spokesman for the thirty
three railroad officials, urged the
President to uphold the principle of
arbitration, and declared his plan
would place in peril all that has been
accomplished in the peaceful adjust
ment of labor controversies by meth
DDS of arbitration"
At the close of the conference Presi-
dent Wilson summoned TO Washington
fourteen additional railroad presidents
from the west. His telegram to them
was as follows:
Discussion of the matters involved
in the threatened railway strike is
still continuing. 1t is highly important
that l should personally confer with
you or some one authorized to repre-
sent you at the earliest possible mo-
nent. Hope you can arrange matters
80 as to be able to come to Washing
ton at once
Western Officials Summoned.
The western railroad executives sum-
moned by the President are Louis w.
Hill. Great Northern: j. NJ Hanaford,
Northern Pacific; J. NJ. Dickinson. Rock
Island; E. F. Kearney. Wabash: w. C.
Nixon. ST. Louis and San Francisco;
H. U. Nudge, Denver and Rio G~ant
c. NJ. Levey, Western Pacific: W. G.
Besler. Central Railroad o. New Jersey;
e. Pennington. Minnesota, st. Paul and
Sault Ste. Marie; NJ. II. Smith, Louis
souri,. Kansas and iexas. and Edwin
Gould. St. Louis and Southwest.
The railroad presidents here sent to
the White House last night a list of
about seventy other officials who. they
thought, should be invited to the next
conferences if the President expects
il to be representative gathering.
The railway executives already here
told the President at the close of the
White House conference yesterday aft
ernoon that they would confer among
themselves and return next week
probably Monday. In the meantime
the employees will remain here for in
formal conferences.
While President Wilson was address,
ing the railroad executives, telling
them they faced "a condition. not
principle" his statement to the country
reviewing his plan. and characterizing
program" was given out at the White
House.
In the statement he urged the adop-
tion of the eight-hour day because he
hell e.
gested the creation by Congress of a
small body of men to investigate the
results. and urged the abandonment of
the demand for time-and-a-half over
time pay by the men and the con
tingent" proposals by the railroads.
Employees in Special Session.
The general committee OF. $40 chair
men OF the employees held a special
meeting yesterday afternoon. at which
the PresidentS statement was read
Although the committee showed pleas
ure' at the attitude of the White House
toward a basic eight-hour day, there
was no demonstration. The meeting
was adjourned until 10 o'clock tomor-
row morning.
Judge Chambers of the federal board
of mediation. conferred with some of
the leaders. He declined to make pub
lie his mission.
iNePoI % were tui rent tahIohe INC eHi-
pioyes. after the visit of Judge Cham
bers. that counter proposal was ex
pected from the railroad managers. Mr.
Chambers refused to confirm or deny
the report.
Holden Gives Out Statement.
A little later Mr.. Holden. as spokes-
man for the railroads. gave out the
statement of the executives as it was
presented at the White House. which
is printed in fun in another column.
The demand for the eight-hour day is
In ha