Arizona republican., 1916-08-20
URGES HEADSOE { RAILROADS II !
 AGREE ON PLAN
Republican A. p. Leased wireI

Republican A. P. Leased WireJ
 WASHINGTON, Aug. 19.-President Wilson appealed to the railroad offi cials today to abandon their insistence on arbitration of the dispute with em- ployes threatening a nation wide strike and to accept his plan of settlement al- ready agreed to by the employees, be- cause. in his opinion, the railroads are contending for a principle which it seemingly is impossible to apply to the present situation.
 In one of the most dramatic scenes known to the White House in recent years, the president declared to the heads of five billion dollars worth of properties, assembled at his summons:
 If a strike comes, the public will know where the responsibility rests. It will not be upon me-
 A few minutes later he issued d statement saying that the public has d right to expect acceptance of his plan.
 Refusing acceptance for the present. but not giving final answer, Hale Holden, president of the Burlington road, and spokesman for the thirty three railroad officials, urged the presi- dent to uphold the principle of arbi- tration and declared his plan would place in peril all that has been ac- complished in the peaceful adjustment of labor controversies by methods of arbitration"
 At the close of the conference Presi- dent Wilson summoned to Washington additional railroad presidents from the west and the executives already here told him they would confer among themselves and return next week, prob- ably Monday. In the meantime repre- sentatives of both the roads and the employees will remain here for informal conferences.
 The situation tonight was described by a railroad president as mot hope less, but grave" It will be at stand still until Monday at least. Discussion of counter proposals and compromises was current and serious attention given to the possibility of government operation of the roads in case of a. strike.
 As result of the days conference, however. it was said on good authority that many of the road presidents looked upon the possibility of a strike as more remote than at any time since they came to Washington. Over the week end it was anticipated that the railroad officials will get into communication with the controlling financial inter ests and it still was considered possible | that some of the powerful directors of | the roads would be called to Washing ton Both among the employers and employees, talk of arrangements con l tinued and for different reasons. both sides thought if it came it would last | less than a week.
 While President Wilson was still ad- | dressing the railroad executives, tell | ing them they faced "a condition not a principle" his statement to the coun- try, reviewing his plan and character
 iZing it as a thoroughly practicable and fair program was given out at the | White House. In the statement he urged the adoption of the eight-hour . day because he believed the conces- | sion right" suggested the creation by congress of a small body of men to in- vestigate the results, and urged the | abandonment of the demand for time
 and a half overtime pay by the men
 and the contingent" proposals, by tho railroads.
 MT. Holden insisted upon arbitration | in his reply to the president because | ''it is essentially the common right of
 every citizen of whatever condition i1
 life to be heard" and because experi-
 ence has put the right to claim arbi- tration as a method of settling such
 controversies beyond question" He
 argued that the eight-hou day is i'm practicable in railroading and said the
 roads are willing for the interstate commerce commission or any other dis
 interested body to arbitrate the whola
 question. The demand for the eight
 hour day is in reality, he declared. only
 an indirect plea for 'an enormous in 1 crease in wages" and said that in this
 instance for those demanding a chance
 to refuse to submit their demands to arbitration is indefensible."
 | w. G. Lee, head of the Brotherhood
 of Railroad Trainmen, gave out a bries
 statement tonight on behalf of the men.
 pointing out that in accepting Presi-
 dent Wilson's plan, the employees sur
 rendered very large portion of their
 demands while the railroad companies
 seem about as unwilling to accept
 suggestions from the president of the
 United States as they have in the past
 refused to consider requests from their ] Continued on Page Twelve)