Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-09-23
THOUSANDS STRIKE;
FEW PLANTS CLOSE
IN LARGE CENTERS
CONTINUED Prom Page u

mined to go to work, the streets and
roads leading to the mills in every
steel community in the Monongahela.
Allegheny and Ohio valleys being pa
trolled by armed guards.
The state police had their first
clash with crowds Sunday afternoon
in North Clarion and near McKees
port, where they broke up mass
meetings at the request Of local po-
lice officials. Strike leaders charge
that a number of persons in the
North Clarion crowd were severely
hurt in the clash there.
Early reports from the populous
centers of Allegheny county Showed
that the strike went into effect
without any disturbances. At Nc
Keesport, where strong efforts were
made to bring out the men, all
streets leading to the steel mills
were heavily guarded. Rain fell
in the early hours which had the
effect of keeping men from con.
eregating.
At the National Tube company's
works at McKeesport, one of the
largest industries there, large num-
bers of men went to work without
incident. What percentage of the
workers answered the whistle, Off
Gals of the company would not say
early today. The chief of police OF
the town, who is in close touch with
the officials of the works, said the
majority of the Americans employed
there went to work, and that the
strikers were largely foreigners.
t'oremen in small departments said
the usual number" of men went
to work.
At Braddock, where the United
States Steel corporation has extern
s1Ve works. and also at Homestead.
crC wds of men walked the streets
hut every one was kept moving. No
early reports came from steel cor
poration sources of the effect of the
strike.
The Carnegie Steel company did
not issue a formal statement, but
gave out for publication information
which, it was announced, came to
the offices here from superintendent
of various plants.
At Homestead, where the COM
pany's largest works are located, the
Carnegie representatives said whole
departments were in operation with
a few men absent. The same sftua-
ton was reported at the company's
Edgar Thompson works at Brad
dock. At the Carnegie plant at Du-
quesne, the company said it's infor-
nation was the. works were in 100
per cent operation.
The Carrie furnaces Of the Car
negie company at Rankin were re-
ported to the offices here as not ope-
rating full. approximately Is per
cent of the men remaining away.
At Clarion, where the Carnegie
by-product coke works are situated,
and where the Pennsylvania state
police clashed yesterday with a
crowd of men in breaking up a mass
meeting, the situation was reported
worse than at any other place heard
from by the company.
At Newcastle the Carnegie Rolling
Mills and blast furnaces were re-
ported in good shape.
All the plants of the Carnegie COM
pany within the city of Pittsburg
were reported to the company, it was
said, as operating close to 100 per
cent.
Summing up, the representative of
the company said the Situation
might have been worse" He said
that in all plants where men failed
to report they were nearly all for
eigners.
Mr.. Foster, in his review of the
situation from his early reports, said
he was agreeably surprised at the
number of men out. 1T will be two
days before the full weight of the
strike will be felt" he said.
Representative of the Jones and
Laughlin Steel company reported that
all plants of the company were work
ing 100 per cent
From labor, corporation ad police
sources came the information that
there was no trouble reported any
where in the Pittsburg district dur
ing the early hours of the strike.
information from the employers
side was to the effect that the strike
line is sharply drawn between Amer
lean and foreigners. The Ameri-
cans, it was said, as a rule, went to
work while foreigners were in the
Zig majority among the strikers.
Blast furnaces, according to com
centage of foreigners are employed,
were the hardest hit. The furnaces.
it was said, were expected to be the
weakest spots from the corporation
point of view.
Reports from the West Penn and
Allegheny steel companies were to
the effect that 35 per ce. mt of their
men, virtually all foreigners, failed
to report for work.
Secretary Foster at union head
quarters later said that reports
from outside of the Pittsburg dis
trict show the shutdown general
At the same time Mr.. Foster an
nounced that meeting of the ma
tional committee would be held in
Pittsburg Wednesday morning.
Two unidentified men stood on
hill in North Clarion today and
fired eight shots toward the North
Clarion steel plant. No one was
struck. State police gave chase and
the men disappeared in a nearby
woods.
Reports from McKees Rocks stat
ed that few men failed to report for
work in the mills at that. place
where about 1000 men are usually
employed.
Secretary Foster of the steel
workers national union said that
despite the actions of the state DO
lice at North Clarion and McKees-