The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-11-15
PRESIDENT IS
WORK. To
AVERT STRIKE
Has Set Machinery of Fed
eral Government in Mo-
ton to Such Purpose.
WILL APPEAL TO
LABOR LEADERS
Endeavoring to Have Suug-
gle Deferred Until After
the War Ends.
BY AssoCIArEp PREaa

Washington, Nov. 14.--Aroused
by the plans of the railway men 9
brotherhoods to demand wage in
creases, President Wilson has set the
machinery of the Federal government
in motion to avert, if possible, the
threat of a paralysis of the country's
transportation ystenls so vital to the
war. - 49,
At a conferences with the head Of
the Big Four brotherhood at the
White House on November 22nd,
President Wilson will appeal to the
labor leaders to defer any struggle
until after the country has passed
through the period in which its trans
transportation systems SO vital to the
duct of the war.
disclosed that President Wilson while
entertaining every hope for a SOM
plete agreement, does not intend to
permit the country's transportation
system to be tied up by a strike at
this critical time in the nations his
tory, even il it becomes necessary for
the government to operate the roads.
It was discovered today that Judge
William L. Chambers, head of the
Federal Board Of Mediation and
Cancellation, already has been hold
ing conferences with the eheads 6f the
big Four, brotherhoods.
The status of the proceedings so
far shows disinclination of the
brotherhood heads to commit them
selves to a plan of arbitration diff
ferences and the hope of the gov
ernment negotiations is for an agree
ment which will postpone any dis
ruption Of the transportation systems
until after the war.
The following letter from President
Wilson to Judge Chambers expresses
the president attitude toward the
situation:
The Presidents Letter.
"My Dear Judge Chambers:
"May I not express my very deep
and serious interest in your efforts
to bring the railroad executives and
the nrotherhoods engaged in train
operation to an agreement that there
shall be on interruption in their re-
lations on either side until ample op-
portunity shall have been afforded
the United States board of media
tion and Cancellation to bring about
if possible an amicable agreement and
that in the event of failure to bring
about such an agreement any contro-
versy that may have arisen will be
submitted to arbitration in accord
ance with the provisions of the New
lands law?
Il take it for granted that your
efforts will succeed, because it is in
to me that patriotic men
should now for moment contemplate
the interruption of the transportation
which is so absoluteil necessary to
the safety of the nation and to its
success In arms, as we'll as to its
whole industrial life; but I wanted.
to express my deep per-
sonal interest in the matter and to
wish you Godspeed.
The last thing 1 should wish to
would be the puossibili-
ty of being obliged to take any unusu-
al measures to operate the railways
and / have so much confidence that
the men you are dealing with will ap-
preciate the patriotic motives under
lying your efforts that I shall look
forward with assurance to your sue
cess.
Cordially and sincerely ours,
WOODROW WILSON,
BROTHERHOOD DISFAvOR
PLAN OF ARBITRATION. /
Cleveland, Ohio, Nov 14.-W. G. |