The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-11-04
Reports of DesertiOns From
Union Come From Sew
eral Districts.
OPERATORS HOPEFUL
Meeting in Charleston To
day Will Invite All Work.
ers to Resume.
MANY DISTRICTS TIED UP
Strike Funds Withheld by
Court Order and Stores Are
Refusing Credit.
MANY DISTRICTS TIED UP
Special Dsspotoa TO TEE Sun.

| WASHINGTON. Nov. 8.-with the idea
prevailing throughout Washington to-
night that the end Of the bttuminous
coal miners strike was in sight, Gov
eminent officials were seeking a mesns
to bring an acceptable offer Of media
been reached as to how this can be &C.
complished, but the prospects win b
canvassed at a meeting of the Cabinet
tomorrow morning
Although there is nothing tangible
or official on which to base the opti-
mistic feeling, 1t was known that In,
fluences were being brought to bear TO
| have the 425,000 miners now on strike
return to work. Attorney General
Palmer departed from here for his
home, Stroudsburg, Pa, tonight, ana
1t was said that he shared the oninion
that the strike would be over before
next Saturday, the day on which the
Injunction obtained before Federal
Judge Anderson in Indianapolis N
made returnable.
1t became known during the dav
that Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor. and
warren S. Stone, grand chief of the
brotherhood OF Locomotive Engineers.
had been in communication with John
L. Lewis, acting president of the
United Mine Workers of America.
OTer of Protection Renew.a.
CONFIDENTIAL reports being received
Oy the Department of Justice showed
II was said, that union miners wsr.
! leaving the strike ranks seeking work
and that large numbers of the union
miners had declared themselves az be-
ihs willing to work, but feared thu
consequences. In view of this condi.
ton the Government reitsr.tea %.
promise to give adequate protection.
through Federal troops If necessary to
guard any men who wished to assis,
III maintaining the coal supply of the
country.
First breaks in the ranks of thu
strikers were shown in West Virginia
and Colorado, advices to the operators
reporting that the non-union mine.
were working to full capacity and that
the production of coal to-day was
larger by considerable degree than
on saturday, the first day of the strike.
1t was from these advices that tho rs-
ports that the union miners were seeL.
ing employment in the non-union
fields We're received
In Colorado the Black Diamond nina
employing approximately fifty men. re-
sumed capacity operations undar
agreement between the operators and
'he men that any wage increases
awarded in the East will be applied
mere. AT Walsenburg, Col, 800 miners
telegraphed to Washington that thev
were willing to return to work.
In Ohio five or six companies which
mine through the stripping process
ported that they were producing
Ihe break in the West VirginisEyN
was reported by the West VirI u
Coal Association to the headouaI n
OF the operators here. The report L
that fifteen union mines-small onef
in the northern part OF the State IN
resumed operations.
VIII Invite Others to Return.
w. II. Cunningham secretary of ths
association, said that the operators
were 80 encouraged by the situation
that they had decided to hold a meet.
ing In Charleston, w. Va, Tomorrow
and extend a public invitation to ali
the striking miners in their section To
return to work
Z. II. jenkins, president of the A.
ISOLATION. said that the production of
coal i'll northern West Virginia-the
Paramount Morgantown Grafton re-
glon--was 90 per cent. of normal. ao-
cording to estimates received by him.
Ihls statement was reiterated by Sec-
rotary Cunningham, who asserted that
production was more than so Der cent.
lie added that he expected a quick re-
turn TO normal conditions, basing his
forecast on reports that miners in sew
eral sections were indicating a desire
10 return to work at once.
In the EFFORT to bring about an end
Of the strike pressure is being brought
to bear on the leaders OF organized la
Dor in Washington TO use their In.
tiuences with the leaders OF mine labor
toward compromise, a calling of OF
the strike and a settlement OF all
grievances by an impartial and disin-
terested tribunal. lust how successful
this movement will be is problematicaI.
Several officials feel that with the Gov
arnment using all peaceable powers TO
.reak the strike. and with the hands
If the real leaders OF the mine workers
national organization tied. leaders Of