The Co-operative news. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1917-1918, 1917-12-20

that followed such. deportations, have
deeply affected the opinion of la
boring men, as well as the general
public, throughout the country
These events have been made the
basis of an attempt to affect adj
versely public opinion among some
of the people of the Allies. Their
money still embarrasses the estab-
lishment of industrial peace through
out the country for the period of
the war, and it is indispensable to
obtain and maintain industrial peace
if the war is to be brought to the
quickest possible successful conclu-
sion and if lives are not to be need
lessly sacrificed. The President S
Mediation Commission is charged
rather with helping to secure peace
full industrial relations for the fu-
ture than to sit in judgment upon
the errors of the past. But it is
impossible to make for peace in the
future unless the occurrences of
such instances as the Bsbee deporta-
tons are avoided. The future can
not be safeguarded against such re-
currences unless candid and just
statement is made of the facts sur
rounding the Bisbee deportation and
an understanding is had Of the con-
ditions which brought it about. Such
candor is necessary for the guidance
of all in their future conduct. Such
candor is also necessary because if
the truth be authoritatively set forth
there will be no basis for any mis-
representation of the facts either
through ignorance or design.
The Presidents Mediation Com
mission has therefore deemed it a
duty which it could not avoid to
undertake thorough and impair
tial consideration of the facts sur
sounding the deportations of the
18th of July and the practices which
have been pursued since the depor-
tation by officials and citizens of
Cochise County. After hearing the
representatives of the different ele-
ments involved in the deportation,
both official and private, the Presi-
dents Mediation Commission makes
these findings:
(D A strike was called in the
Warren District on June 26, 1917, to
be effective the following day. While
undoubtedly the men sincerely felt
that several grievances called for
rectification by the companies, hav-
ing regard to the conditions it this
district and the Governments need
for it's copper production, the griev-
ances were not of such nature as
to have justified the strike. Here
as elsewhere there was, however,
no machinery for the adjustment of
difficulties between the companies
and the men which provided for the
determination of alleged grievances
by some authoritative disinterested
tribunal in which both the companies
and the men had confidence and be-
fore which they had an equal oppor-
tunity of urging their respective
claims. This is a fundamental diff
Guilty in the settlement of grievances
that may arise in this district, and
here as in the other mining camps
in Arizona visited by the Presidents
Mediation Commission a plan has
been worked out establishing such
machinery whereby in the future, al
least during the period of the war
grievances will be settled by an or
derby, impartial process, and the re.
sort to strike or lockout will be
wholly without foundation.
(2) Many of those who went out
did not in fact believe in the Justice
of the strike, but supported it, as
is common among workingmen, be
cause Of their general loyalty to the
cause represented by the strikers anC
their refusal to be regarded in theil
own estimation, as well as in the
minds of fellows workers, as "scabs.
(3) Shortly after the strike was
called, the Sheriff of the County
through the Governor of Arizona, re
quested the aid of Federal troops
The request was based on the fac
that the State militia had been draft
ed into the Federal service and tn,
State therefore was without its nor
NAL militia protection. Governor
Campbell recommended to the Sec
rotary of War that an immediate in
vestigation of the situation at Bis
bee be made by regular army Off
GER, in order to ascertaia the neeC
of troops. The Governors recon
mendation was followed and an in
vestigation of the situation in Bis
bee was made by an experienced of
ficer. Such investigation was mad,
on June 80 and again on July 2, anC
after both Investigations the office
reported that everything was peace
able and that troops were neithe
needed or warranted under exist