Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-10-31
Provisional Battalion, 800
Strong, Composed Of Vet
Grams of the First Division
Under Orders From Chicago.
ANTICIPATE POSSIBLE
DISORDERS IN STRIKE
instructions Issued to Union
Members to Leaders to In
sure Protection and Proper
Care Of Mining Property.

Indianapolis. Oct. 30.-Goverr-
ment court action intended to pre-
vent the strike of bituminous coal
miners from becoming effective to-
morrow midnight was forecast
here tonight. 1t was learned that
John T. Crayton, special assistant
to the attorney general, in charge
of the bureau of investigation, had
been in Indianapolis all day direct
ing a corps of investigators in this
and adjoining districts. 1t was re-
ported also that A. B. Anderson,
Judge of the federal district court,
had been requested by the Depart
ment of Justice officials to hold
himself available tomorrow and
Saturday.
Louisville, Oct. 30.-A provisional
battalion, 800 strong, composed Of
veterans of the First division, have
orders to proceed Immediately to
the coal fields of West Virginia in
anticipation of possible disorder at
tending the strike of miners there.
The troops would be on their way
before morning, Col. c. w. Peabody.
acting chief of staff, announced. He
said the instructions had come from
the headquarters of the Central de-
partment, Chicago.
Infantry and machine gunners
make up the riot battalion, it was
announced, along with the necessary
I,ra1 1ok, 81, ,tI px,H 1Av
GERS.
The provisional battalion's desti-
nation was announced as Hunting
ton, w. Va, where they were to de-
train and scatter in various towns,
according to Col. w. R. Scott. in
telligence officer. Col. w. S. Har-
rell, commander of the Sixteenth in
fantry and acting commander of the
First infantry brigade, was in COM
mand of the battalion.
\ $500 Picked Veterans.
Some $500 picked veterans from
the Sixteenth, Eighteenth, Twenty
sixth and Twenty-eighth infantry
regiments have been under arms at
Camp Zachary Taylor since Octo-
Der l6, when Maj. Gen. Charles P.
Summerall, commanding the First
division, organized two rifle cont
panies, one machine gun platoon and
the necessary medical, signal and
supply detachments, under tele-
graphic instructions that their serv-
ices might be needed upon the out
break of industrial troubles.
The troops received an "alert" or
der October "a and since then those
composing the battalion have been
held in camp. The "alert" order was
issued when Governor Cornwell of
West Virginia appealed to Maj. Gen.
Leonard Wood, in command of the
Central department of the United
States army at Chicago.
Two trains were made up to car
ry the troops to Huntington, one IF
them being devoted mainly to mo-
tor equipment sufficient to carry one
infantry company to its ultimate des-
tination. Some 1900 troops still are
held in reserve.
Humphrey Leaves.
Chicago, Oct. 30-Col. E. H.
Humphrey, chief of staff to Cen
eral Wood, commander of the CEN
tral department of the army, left to-
night for Huntington, w. Va, as
the generals representative to in
vestigate conditions in the West
Virginia coal fields.
The colonel expected to be in
Huntington before the arrival of the
troops of the First division ordered
into West Virginia. He will remain
there as long as circumstances may
require, while the troops are being
distributed from Huntington into
the districts where trouble is feared
when the bituminous coal miners 60
on strike.
The action in ordering troops into
West Virginia was taken at the re-
quest of Governor Cornwell of that
state. The governor was in tele.
phonic communication with General
Woods office late today. Recent
threatened disturbances in the West
Virginia fields when Governor Corn.
we'll declared that unless the miners
desisted from their overland marches
and alleged threats of violence he
would call on General Wood for
troops, led the governor to request
federal protection today, it was Said.
The number of troops involved
and Identification of units was not
made public.
To Protect Mines.
Pittsburgh, Oct. 3o.-Officers Of
district No. S, United Mine Work
ers of America, sent out instructions
to the $4,000 union men in this ter
ritory concerning the suspension Of
mining operations scheduled for FRI
day at midnight.
They explained that, the strike
would to all purposes begin when
the men left the mines Friday even.
CONTINUED - Page Two. Columa a.