Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-20
SOLDIERS TO WORK
NNEW YORK PIERS
500 Landed to End Strike When
Baker Denies Mayors
Request
INCENDIARY PAM P H LET S

INCENDIARY PAM P HLET S
New York, Oct. 0--Notwithstand
ing the protest of Mayor Hylan to the
secretary of war, 800 soldiers of the
regular army were landed here today
from the transport George Washington,
to. attmept to end the congestion at the
army piers in Brooklyn caused by the
iongshoremen's strike. The men are
under orders to shoot il necessary, ac-
cording to a statement made by Briga-
dier General Peter Dawson, chief of
troop movements at the port of cmbar-
kation. 1.-The troops will aid in NOV
ing transports or whatever else is neces
sGry." said General Dawson.
The soldiers were landed ut llOboken
and Immediately transferred to GOV
ernors Island, preparatory to duty at
the army piers in Brooklyn. They com
prised two battalions of the Twelfth
Regular Infantry. First Division, which
was first in France and first in the
fighting. Many had overseas chevrons
and wound stripes.
Armed If Necessary
The soldiers were outhttrd with civil
Ian working attire. Asked whether the
soldiers would carry arms while work
ing Major General David G. ShankS.
commanding the port of embarkation.
said:
''1f necessary an armed guard will be
placed with them, but it is. impossible
for man to work and carry a rife.
''We have 800 tons of mail on the
pier and several vessels waiting for coal.
In addition. work is being delayed on n
number of ships taken over by the gov
ernnient for transports, which must be
given back in the same shape as we re
ceiyed them The delay in restoring
them is costing the government heavily.
Soldiers will be put to work Immediately
on getting these ships into shape.
General Shanks deprecated sensational
rumors connected with the use of troops.
''rhere are no machine guns with
these men," he said, ''and they are
not to be used as soldiers in the ordi-
nary sense of the term. There will be
no shooting, or anything like that.
There are many foreigners among the
strikers and their possibly limited un-
derstanding of the situation created by
these rumors may tend to make matters
much worse than need be. "
Incendiary Circulars Appear
As the soldiers were arriving the po
lice learned that incendiary circulars
appealing for the establishment Of
workers government like the Soviet
republic of Russia" were being distrib
uted to the strikers. The pamphlets
read in part:
TO striking longshoremen: a proc
lamation issued by the communist party
of America of local Greater New York.
"Sixty thousand lonSshoremen are on
/ strike against the bosses, the govern
ment wage adjustment board and the
scab unionism of the a. i. of l.. Strike
means victory. Arbitration means de-
feat.
.Unite with the striking drivers,
stevedores, freight handlers, platform
ssren and chauffeurs for one big indus
trial transport workers union.
"I'he government will send soldiers
to take your places. Some are already
doing the dirty work, and IS, 900 are on
the way. How can you expect square
deal from the bosses government! The
government will place soldiers at the
piers with rifles and machine guns TO
shoot you down.
'.The only way TO get rid of the
bosses government is to establish a
workers government like the soviet re
public of Russia.
Frederick Antonchik, q Polish long
shoreman, was arrested on a charge OF
distributing the leaflets. He said they
had been given to him by q delegate
of the longshoremen' S union. Anton
chik claimed to have been in this coun
try five years.
The International Mercantile Marine
announced today that it would make nc
attempt to move cargoes pending fur
ther efforts to settle the strike by the
committee appointed by Secretary Q
Labor Wilson.
Washington, Oct. 20. Secretar!
Baker today refused the request o
Mayor Hylan. of New York, to postpop
the use of troops ut New York unit
further efforts could be made to scttl
the strike of lOngShorcmen there.
The troops referred to in your tel'
gram of the nineteenth instant" sa
Mr., Bakers telegram to Mayor IIylar
.'are being transferred to the port {
New York for duty in connection wit
the port activities, particularly tn
army supply base at South Brooklyn
The vessels which the War DepartmeI
is operating are public vessels, an
their operation is essential to provit
needed supplies for our forces abroa
and for the return of emergency me
still to be brought back from Franc,
s'The port authorities have been di
rected to maintain this service and
take whatever steps may be require
TO continue the necessary operation
at the port. shall 60 operate with yo
in any possible way to bring about {
adjustment of the strike difficulty. I'll
War Departments policy has alwa!
been and will be to deal fairly wit
labor, but the maintenance of the trans
port service. upon which our oversee
army depends, and which is bringin
home soldiers returning from Franc,
Is q part of the war operations
the government, and | intend to col