Arizona republican., 1919-09-25
PRESENT STRIKE. PERIOD CRITICAL
 ADMIT LEADERS
Mill Operators Attempt to Switch Tide of Conflict That They May Assume Offensive = Claim Many Workers Return To Po- sitions
TRepublican A. p. Leased wire1


 PITTSBURG, Sept 24.-While or ganized labor's board of strategy was in session here today mapping out fur ther plans to bring victory to the union steel workers of the country in their struggle with the employers, the oper- ating executives Of the corporations in volved were straining every nerve to check a spread of the strike.
 The present phase of tre conflict is regarded by both sides as a critical pe- riod The first rush and excitement of the strike is over. Reports indicate that there has not been great move ment of men into or out of the plants in the Pittsburg district since the first big walkout and each side is guarding against stampede.
 The various large plants and smaller concerns are crippled in varying de- grees, according to reports, and man. agers responsible for the operation of steel mills are in some cases not only trying to hold what they have but are trying to ,et on the offensive.
 Claim Spread of Strike
 The leaders of the strikers, as shown by their declarations that the strike is spreading, are not giving up the attack, but predict that with the coming of more organizers they will gradually shut down all the important works. Secretary William z. Foster, of the strikers national committee, said today that he expected the great Homestead plant of the Carnegie Steel company, principal subsidiary of the United States Steel corporation, would be shut .1r lxrf la ,f Nhn aal-
 Secretary Foster announced late to- day that 342OG0 men in the industry are on strike and that the situation was well in hand This is a gain of 15,000 compared with his figures of yesterday. Only optimistic information came from the offices of the Carnegie and other steel companies in the Pittsburg district today and they were at great variance with those given out by the unions. The company officials main tained that the trend was into the mills. Increased forces, they declared were in evidence at all the important plants.
 The Jones and Laughlin Steel com . pany mills, against which a drive has been started by the unions, were re- ported to be running nearly normal by the management At union headquar- ters it was said that men in some of the plants of the company were gradually coming out.
 In the outer Pittsburgh district small gains were reported for the larger steel mills. Conditions werc said to be better from the standpoint of employers at New Castle and al Farrell, at both of which places there have been riots, with the lose of life
 Organizers from the Mine Workers union and othe- labor organization. are beginning to come into the Pitts hurg district to assist those who have been campaigning here. Secretary Foster sent out an appeal several day, ago to labor leaders, asserting tha hundreds of men have been wanting to join the various unions affected by the strike, but there were no organ izers about to take them in hand. District Is Quiet.
 The Pittsburg district as a whole was comparatively quiet today. Lat, in the afternoon strikers attempted t; hold a meeting on the borough line 9 McKeesport. Tha borough authorities have forbidden mass meetings an' have broken up several attempts ) the union men to gather in opel places. Today 2 meeting was an nounced near the line between Nc keesport and Glassport and abou 800 men assembled there. The al thorities of both places, assisted by detachment of state police, ordered tn meeting abandoned. There was som resistance and general fight started in whicn so far as police reports go no one was seriously hurt. When tn disturbance was over the McKeespor rolice iad taken 24 men into custod- and Is others were in the hands 9 the Glassport authorities
 Several shots were fired, 1t was l 2 clared. No one was struck, but a fey in the crowd had thei- heads battere, with police clubs for refusing to dis perse or resisting arrest.
 Chief of Police George Webb o Classpo~t was slightly hurt. He caugh a man in the crowd in the act O drawing a pistol and bounced upo him. There was rush at the chic and he was rescued by a mounte state trooper who rode into the mol In the mix-up the chief was knocke down by the troopers horse.