New-York tribune., 1919-12-21

general public unless the findings Of
this body are comprehensive in their
character and embrace and guard at
every point the public interest. To
this end | deem it important that
your conclusion should be reached
by unanimous action. Upon your ac-
ccptance of this appointment | shall
be pleased to call an early meeting
OF the commission in Washington, so
that you may promptly lay out plans
Tor your work. Sincerely yours.
WOODROW WILSON.
Operators State Position
The formal statement of the opera
tors reads as follows:
The operators have not agreed to
any memorandum such as that men
toned in the Presidents letter to
Messrs. Robinson, White and Peale, in
Volvlng basis of adjustment of the
coal strike
ne operators were not consulted
as to the terms and conditions of the
agreement entered into between the
government and the miners"
In this statement the operators again
attempted to clear up the movements
made by Mr.. Palmer in negotiations to
end the strike. The memorandum to
winch the statement refers is the one
which Mr.. Palmer in his testimony
yesterday before the Frelinphuysen
Senate coal investigating committee
SAID M he drew up on a train between
Washington and Indianapolis when he
was on his way to offer it to the United
Mine Workers. He said in his testi-
mony he showed the statement to John
l.. Lewis and William Green, officials of
the Mine Workers, who had come to
Washington to try to bring about an
adjustment. He also telegraphed it to
Washington for Presidential approval.
!ne operators in their testimony
claim this to have been a radically
different proposal from that contained
IN the memorandum signed by Presi-
ler. their counsel, by Mr.. Palmer. Mr..
Butler accepted the memorandum read
him by the Attorney General so far as
he was able for the operators, and
they were surprised four days later to
learn that as presented to the min
ers it was entirely different in char
acter.
Palmer Takes Issue With Ogle
Mr.. Palmer issued a statement to-
night, taking issue with some of the
published reports Of the testimony yes
terday of A. M. Ogle, an operator, be-
fore the Senate committee He re-
ferred also to the apparent unwilling
ness Of the operators to accept the
Presidential commission plan of set
tEement, saying Mr.. Butler had agreed
to 1T, and that after he had presented
it to the miners it had been approved by
I. T. Brewster, of St. Louis, chairman
of the scale committee of the OPERATOR
Of the central competitive fields.
Some difference of opinion,' said
Mr.. Palmer, had been expressed in
the newspapers as to whether the offer
of the operators of a 20 per cent in
crease in wages had been conditioned
upon an increase in the p ,e of coal
MIR. Ogle came to me on Friday, De
cember 5, to deliver written copy of
the offer which had been made by the
scale committee in the joint conference
with the miners. told his committee
chat the government had not the
slightest intention of making any com
promise of any kind or character anc
proposed to stand squarely upon the
position it had already taken as an
nouuced several times by the Presiden,
and myself"
In conclusion the Palmer statement
says: at would be an amazing repudia
tion of their own statements if the
operators do not acqdiesce in the plar
which their official representatives
have repeatedly agreed to-"