Arizona republican., 1917-11-25
MEN WHO DIRECTED BISBEE !, DECORATIONS CRITICIZED
 ' ESPECIAL COMMISSION
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1


 WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.-Severe criticism of the persons responsible for the deportation of 11S6 striking copper workers from Bisbee. Arizona, and the Warren mining district last July F is contained in a report of President Will sons special labor commission made public tonight by the president
 The deportation was carried out by the sheriff of Cochise county and about 1000 armed men, '-presuming to act as deputies under the sheriffs authority" the report said, and was wholly illegal. and without authority in law, either state or federal"
 After extensive investigation of the cause and circumstances surrounding the copper miners strike. the commits sion found that the deportations were planned by a. number of Bisbee citizens, including officials of the Phelps Dodge and Calumet & Arizona mining inter- ests, although no disorder or violence had been threatened by the strikers. Most of them forcibly herded together and sent out of the state on a special train of box cars were law abiding American citizens, the report said, and few were Germans or Austrians.
 No reference was made in the report to the question of whether any were
 
 Workers of the World.
 The commission reported that the deportation interfered with the opera tion of the selective draft law and sug- gested the president refer the evidence to Attorney General Gregory It was also found that the leaders in the enterprise utilized the local office of the Bell Telephone company and at tempted to exercise a censorship over parts of interstate telephone and tele- graph lines, to prevent information concerning the deportations from reaching the outside world. This situ- alton should be referred to the inter- state commerce commission for inves- ttgation, the commission suggested.
 Both recommendations have been followed by the president, it was an- nounced tonight.
 The commission recommended fur 1 ther that steps be taken to prevent in- l reference with men who seek admis- | sion to the Warren mining district "in | a peaceful and lawful manner" that | the responsible law officers of the state | and county pursue appropriate rem- | edies' for the Vindication of the law: and that deportations be made fed eral criminal offense.
 The deportauons and the usurpation
 
 gated body of citizens for more than a. month afterwards, the commission Said, have even been made the basis of an attempt to affect adversely pub lie opinion among some of the people of the allies"
 The reference is believed to be to | criticism of American anti-labor meth ods by Russian workmen. It is set forth also that memory of the depor- tations still embarrasses the estab- lishment of industrial peace' which is declared essential for successful pros 1 ecutiOn of the war.
 One of the principal faults contrib uting to the original troubles the com mission found was the lack of any sort of mediation body. Machinery to adjust future labor difficulties has now been established by the commit tee in the Arizona field, however.
 The report is signed by Secretary Wilson, chaiIman of the commission which is now touring the west; J. L. Spangler, E. P. Marsh and J. H. Walk CT, members of the commission, and Felix F'rankfurter, counsel.
 Werner z. Reed, the other member of the commission did not sign the re- port, as he was in San Francisco in connection with the strike of telephone 1 operators there when the Bisbee in- Vestigation was made.
 The future cannot be safeguarded against a recurrence of such deporta- tions, the report says, unless candid l and just statement is made of the facts surrounding the Bisbee deportations ] and an understanding is had of the conditions which brought it about" 9 After hearing the representatives of 3 the different elements involved in the AnrN n~tl 1,.+h ofT4 f<. 3 the commission finds that: "A strike was called in the Warren r district June 26, 1917, to be effective 3 the following day. While undoubtedly $ the men sincerely felt that several = grievances called for rectification by the companies having regard to the conditions in this district and the gov- ernments need for it's copper produc- , tion, the grievances were not of such a nature as to have justified the strike ''
 Shortly after the strike was called I the report explains, the sheriff of the county through the governor of Ari- Zona, requested the aid of federal rtoops, but after investigation of the situation in Bisbee an army officer re- ported that everything was peaceable e and that troops were neither needed d nor warranted.
 
 n in fact peaceful and free from anS manifestations of disorder or violence. , e the eeport adds, lis the testimony oi It reputable citizens, as well as of official: 1f of the city and county who are in z Te position to report accurately and speal le without bias.
 er Early on the morning of July F tn, d sheriff and large armed force pre- > suming to act as deputies under tn, d sheriffs authority, comprising abou l. 1000 men. rounded up 1,1S6 men in tn, le Warren district, put them aboard rs train and carried them to Columbus n N. M. The authorities at Columbus lg refused to permit those in charge of tn,
 deportation to leave the men there an, r. the train carried them to the deser ,y town of Hermanas, N. M. The de ar portees were wholly without adequat ID
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