Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-17
MINE OR FIGHT; COAL
D|GGERS MAY CHOOSE
Garfield Ready to Go the Limit
to End Strike in Pennsylvania
Anthracite Fields.

wasb;,eton ID G., Sept IL -"N Mine
o~ fgbt'' will proablv bc the only alter
native, of men in the coal hcids VINO
hammer the production of coal by strik-
mo Following out the policy cnunclat-
cd hv President Wilson III his dealing
with the striking machinists IN bridge
mort the Fuel Administration lost no
timc today in letting the anthracite
coal miners who have walked OUT h
Pennsylvania know that the HoE'rh-
ment will not tcmporlzc with th'l,i;
Dr. GARFIELD announcing nc Wn"'d
moi treat with the strikers While tncN
remain out. would not say luSt "i'a'
sto,s hc contemplated. but there was
every ndiction that he Is rcadN !" 70
~ f,r as the President did with the
,,,a.b;r;sts and that was threat TO
mako them fight if they would not work.
Soon after reaching his office TODAY;
T,,r! Administrator Garfield received
tb,s telegram from James Matthews
nreSIdept of the United Mime Workers
=, District \o @. where the sllSpch-
son Of work occurred
MANY of The mines arc closed IN
tins district TO-DAY. Men claim they
vnnt until increases IN wages are grant
cl dc,pjtc the fact that | am dong
my very best To convince them TO re-
main n work pending settlement
Tn ,hls Dr. Garfield dispatched the
following reply. addressed 10 Matthews
al Shcnandoah ~
"Your telegram even datc ihaNe
make It perfectly clear TO MI Your men
that ~ long aS they arc out on S'flh''
I will not confer with them, nor taHc
any >trp> IN their hchat, and >trr'W
that thcv Will bc held personally ana
strictly responsible
hat thc tucl ADMINISTRATION i &c
,.r,rlnc,i ~ take The most drastic steps
,,ro.lnrtIan through the making puhhr
~ Dr G3rfeld.~ pam uitlnatnm to
~, n,n hut What form these would
taLr "a, no. disclosed | ndcr 'hc Laws
rotating ~ the national defense I'r
C;,rSeli i, clothed with amplr powers
~ take over and operate niEts madc
lllr thr ,ugh strikes er othcr disturbances.
.nd vI,lc hc would not Indicate Just
,,L,. hc plau~ tn do the Fuel NdluIn
,Strttar p.rnitrei ~, inference that
H. vii Ton at no steps necessary I"
hcep tht mines producing
III. lntprr.~inn here IS thai tho nun
- leaders havc worked in perirt'
,,a.l fa4tb to prevent thr men from
walking oa. htr 'ft~ VII n"' rra'c'
IL, mon from 3 faax fal I" trcj tAe
lar ~nm. nmy .horr ha~ hcrn N
farr the Iuel ADMINISTRATION demands
r., tie anthrlcite MINER tor increased
wqcc> timulua ,hat there might
~ is.~ticr III 'hrfr stand .lu'i Ndmin-
,.fra.or t.arti,ld ha~ had ri" matter
under a.lvI-emrut Il rho ~atnr timr
telling The men ,ha; hon rira ~h"uld
auaIt tho report # President WILSON
lnvrs. lgat1nn III the hAa co~' "' hNinE
IN relation to Nanm.~ industries ,"n-
ncctod with the war program There
arc no indlcatlonS whon thc report
ot these investigators VIII t' pre-
10 official reports II INC numhcr
oF men affected IN today Walkoni
reached Washington II there arc hut
>l< oft SAID Dr Garfield that Is too
many.
Reports that union politics i> play
inc part in the strike the mcn are
engaged in agalns' orders q ihcir own
president were hoard hv The lucl Ad-
nlnl~,ratJou which, however. was un-
able IL coahrm them