Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-30
Leaders of Coal Miners
Leave Conference to En-
force Tieup of Mines.
ISSUE STATEMENT
BLAMING OPERATORS
Dssjtins 70 Shift Responsibility For
Dsfyins Wilson by Saying No Com.
munieation From Him Had Been
Observation-Disclosures State Govern.
ments Taking Action to Meet FueI
Situation.

lndianapolis, Ind, Dot. 30-A
direct attack on president Wilson's
course in tho coal strike situation
as '-the climax Of long ssrles Of
attempted usurpations Of executive
power" was made today by John
L. Lewis and the executive board,
Of the United Mine Workers. The
attack came In Q long telegram
to Secretary Of Labor Wilson 70.
plying to . message delivered 70
the conference here yesterday.
\ The telegram constituted the
Sfirst exchange Of views between
tho administration and the union.
Whlle the telegram from Secretary
Wilson reached here yesterday
tho reply was not concluded until
today, when it was submitted to
the board by President Lewis.
The reply was approved by unani-
NOUS vote, Union headquarters
refused to give out the seeretary's
message. The reply indicated that
tho secretary offered TO call con.
ference Of the minors and employ.
. srs, which offer was accepted In
the following:
aWo 8nau nOtU OutSStV0V "
readiness to attend any conferences
which may be called on a fair
basis and stand ready 60 recall
the miners conference when the
proposition 70 made favorable to
VS."
Indianapolis, Oct. sO-Bacleed by
sentiment displayed in yesterdays
conference Of union officials. the ex-
eeutive board Of the United Mine
Workers of Americs metshere today-to
finish incidental work connected with
the strike.
No developments could avert .
strike. it was stated. but some change
In the attitude Of the operators might
result in shortening Of tho tieup. A
few Of the miners heads remained
over. but most Of them were en- route
hosle to put the strike into effect To-
cal1y.
Union officials were still inclined to-
day to rest their case on the statement
issued last night by the conference.
In that statement the federal attitude
was given serious consideration, but
union leaders said that Washington
had been silent as far as they were
concerned and that they had had to
depend on newspapers for their !nfor-
nation as to the governments atti-
tude.
The statement placed the blame for
tha st=ake fatty on the shoulders Of
the mine owners, and asserted that
they alone were responsible for the
The statement, In language so terse
at times as to be almost crytic. denied
that the strike was illegal in any sense,
and stated that the board had no pow
or to override the decisions Of the in
ternational conference.
Miners Blame Operators.
Blame for the situation was laid at
the feet OF the operators, In a state
ment made by the mine union chiefs,
because they had refused to negotiate
afwage agreement Notwithstanding the
fact the mine workers representatives
had urged and beseeched them to do
80.
The miners. the statement claims,
win be. exercising constitutional rights
IN striking.
The statement also set forth that
the union officials gave profound
consideration to the statement Of
President Wilson as it appeared in the
newspapers and added that no COM
munication on that subject had been
received from the federal adminlstra-
tion.
Statement by Miners.
The statement follows:
.'The conference Of United Mine
Workers. composed Of members Of the
international executive board. the
scale committee Of tho central com-
petitive district, and the district pres
idents, United Mine Workers Of Amer.
len rave most profound consideration
to the statement Of the president OF
the United States, which appeared
IN the public press recently, relative to
the imepending strike Of bituminous
miners set for Nov. /. No communi-
cation was received by the internation-
al officers OF the United Nine Work
ers Of America from either the presi-
eral government.
"A canvass Of tho entire situation
shows that q strike OF bituminous min
ers can not be avoided. A regularly
constituted convention Of reprssenta-
tives Of the United Mine Workers held
ut Cleveland O., on Sept. ordered q
strike Of bituminous mine workers 20
become effective Nov. in the event y
~age scale was not negotiated before
that time. Tho highest authority In