New-York tribune., 1919-09-27
Steel Men Now Fear Only
That Washington May
Interfere With Unwel-
come Offer to Arbitrate
Unions Will Try
To Involve Roads
Substantial Gains Made
by Vandergraft, Sharon
and Braddock Plants
By Theodore M. knappen

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 26.--Convinced
that the worst is over and that from
now on they will steadily regain con-
troll of the industry, steel producers
now assert that they fear more than
anything else any intervention from
Washington, such as Presidential!
arbitration commission.
They declare that if there ever was
strike in which there is nothing to
arbitratc it is this one. Mere creation
of an arbitration commission, they say,
2oud give the strike organizers de-
gree of recognition that they are not
entitled to.
This is the kind Of strike, they de-
clare. that has to be fought out, be-
cause there is no common ground. The
question at issue, as they view it: is
whether the steel industry is to be con-
trolled by its present owners or by the
strikers. If it were merely a question
of wages or hours or working condi
tions it would be open to arbitrat lion.
But being one Of "stand and deliver"
it must be settled by wage of battle.
StdU Correspondence
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 26.--East and
West. the steel strike appeared to be
slowly receding to-day. The strikers
seem to be suffering from the accom-
plishment Of too much at first. In the
first few days the strike went as far
as it could 60 in the direction of in
creased numbers of men out. Being
unable to go forward, it is now going
backward.
Now the offensive has passed to the
companies.
Theirs is not spectacular offensive
like the dashing charge that nearly
tedious advance and difficult one for
the strikers to counter on successfully
Secretary Foster, of the national or
ganizing committee of the iron and
steel workers, said to-day that the
strike had about reached a standstill;
that it couldn't 60 further because
there was no place for it to go.
On the other hand, there is unlim-
tied room for the extension of the
back-to- the mills movement.
May Try to Extend Strike
At the meeting of the national com
mittee to be held here tomorrow it is
extending the scope of the strike.
The committee appointed at Wcdnes-
days meeting to confer with the Big
Four" railway brotherhoods has not ac-
comphshed anything, and at to-mor
rows meeting action will be taken look
ing to an immediate conference with
the brotherhoods to go over the whole
situation.
Secretary Foster would not say
whether this meant only an effort to
get the railroad men to stop local haul
i,,f, for cto nd f,,r
a more ambitious attempt to pursuade
them to put an embargo on all rail
way transportation for the companies
against which the strike is being
waged.
The strikers are still considering an
offensive against the Bethlehem Steel
Company. Final decision regarding
action in this direction will be made
at to-morrow's meeting.
Holding Ground, Says Foster
eve are holding our ground every
where" Foster said to-day. "There
are as many men out at Chicago and
Gary as ever. So far as our reports
show there is no slow dribbling back
to work of strikers at the Carnegie
Big Four here.
eve insist the steel industry over
the country is rs per cent crippled.
"The meetings reported at Youngs-
town of workers getting together to
vote on the question Of returning, are
mostly clever moves of the companies
to start something, but we will have
all such meetings so we'll picketed that
the men will be fully informed Of the
snare. On the other hand, the Home
stead plant is slowly exhausting its
momentum and Clarion is as tight
down as ever. Taking the whole coun-
try together I would saw that the men
are standing up better than ever.
"As to how long 1t will be before
one side OF the other will get enough, l
can't say. l never predict in strikes.
l just work"
Men Break in Panic
At Vandergrift, when the United En-
gineering and Foundry Company an
| nced that all strikers would be paid
OFT for good, there was such rush of
workers to return that the company
announced the plant would resume
operations on Monday at full capacity
This was hailed by the steel officials
as the first panicky break in the ranks
of the men, and the prediction was
made that by Monday similar occur
rences would be common all over the
country and would mark the beginning
of the end.
Another break of considerable pro-
portions was. reported from Sharon,
Penn, where several hundred addi-
tional men reported to the Carnegie
company this morning and the plate
mills resumed operations.
for the companies the Pittsburgh Steel
Foundry Company and the Severance
Manufacturing Company at Glassport