The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-22

maintain vigorously that the union ef-
fort is merely for the vindication of the
power of the American Federation of
Labor. They accuse Foster Of the most
radical beliefs. They insist that in fight
ing the strike they are fighting the battle
Of American institutions. They say that
their precautions against violence are
more than justified by the previous rec
ords Of the strikers and their leaders
The strikers assert that the plants
have been fortified" Union leaders ad-
mitted to-day that they had not been
able to pin down stories the men have
told of big shipments of Flies and of
machine guns mounted in the plants.
Huge stores Of cots and provisions have
been brought into many Of the mills, but
the company officials insist that they are
merely enough for the guard which pru-
dnce dictates
With regard to the Importance of the
strike on the industry itself an impor-
tant official said tonight:
If 80 per cent. of the men go out Il
will mean that we will have to bank
many fires II more than 80 per cent. go
out 1t will mean that the blast furnaces
will be pulled They will go down alb
solutely. We cannot run them without
adequate crews. II they 60 down II
will take many days to start them again.
The rolling mills also will be closed II
there are not men to operate them"
1t is this mans opinion that no one
can foretell how far this shutdown will
go until the end of the week at the very
earliest.
Donora Looked on as Key.
"As Donora goes, so go the other
plants of the American Steel and Wire
Company in the Pittsburg district"
That was the assertion made this
afternoon by an official of the corpora
ton after a prolonged meeting of heads
of various departments hurriedly called
this forenoon. When the big chiefs re-
tired last evening, they had been in
formed that the Donora plant, at that
late hour, was still 95 per cent. loyal to
the company and that no anxiety need
be experienced on account of 1t.
Besides being one of the biggest and
most important of the corporations, 1t
was also the model as far as concerned
its attitude toward the American FEEDER
alton of Labor. Local company officers
made the announcement on Thursday
that 1t was actually at that time 100
per cent. against the federation and that
despite what happened to the other
plants of TIE various corporations in
this district the great Donora plant
would be preeminent by keeping in con-
tindous operation.
When the officials of the national COM
mittee for organizing iron and steel
workers had been confronted with these
declarations of the company officials the
invariable reply was that Donora did
not differ from amy other plant and that
unionism was pretty we'll represented in
all the works. William Y. Foster, sec
rotary of the organization, had stated
that the corporation officials were over
confident as to the Donora plant, as
was also the case in a good many others
Between the time the officials retired
last night and 10 o'cfock this forenoon
something happened at Donora or some-
thing was discovered at that plant
Chiefs were notified by telegram and
special messenger. while some were
called even from church services they
were attending.
Manufacturers Get n Scare.
1t was then communicated to the
leaders that Donora could no longer be
placed in the van of the first division
of loyal plants. AS additional informa.
ton reached the captains of industry II
was seen that all previous plans had tc
be thrown into the discard and heroic
efforts had to be made to prevent the
great Donora plant from being captured
by the enemy almost without a blow be
| ing struck In It's defence.
AS the first step In this new campaign
most of the actYve neld operators and
several company officials were hurried
| from this city in high powered automo
biles this afternoon, with instructions tC
remain at Donora until II had been def.
llnitely ascertained whether the plant will
remain in operation. This may be de-
cided within the next twenty-fo hours