The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-10-21
Plenty of Law to Do This
If the Occasion De-
mands 1t.
STRIKE IS DENOUNCED
Senators Say 1t Is Move
ment of Officials and Not
Of Miners.
tBy Associated Pressl

WASHINGTON, Oct. 81. : While
representatives of miners and opera
/ tors were comforting with Secretary
Wilson today in last effort to avert
the threatened strike Of bitpminous
coal workers November / the proposed
walkout was denounced in the senate
as strike Of union officers and not
of the men and as an effort to bring
about class control.
Senator FreLnghuysen, chairman OF
the Senate committee investigating the
coal strike started the discussion by
denouncing trade unionism under Its
present leadership as a new auto
,cracy" tending toward bolsheVism. In
the course of his remarks he said from
his information today's conferences
would not be successful.
This view apparently was reflected
by John L. Lewis, president OF the
United Mine Workers Of America who
stated aas the conference recessed for !
lunch that he saw no reason to change
his original position that the strike |
would become effective unless all OF
the union demands were met.
Nearly a dozen senators Joined IN
the strike discussion in the senate and
most of them expressed the opinion
that while the miners demands were
submitted only to the operators IN the
central competitive region in Penn
sylvania and the middle west the
strike would be nationwide.
Senator Pomerene, Democrat, Ohio,
said that heretofore the question OF
strike had been decided by vote OF the
workers but that in this case the
Cleveland convention Of miners dele
gates decided it.
Pres. Wilson is being kept informed
dent Wilson is being kept informed
as to the threatened strike Of btu
minous coal miners, the traety situa-
tion in the senate and the National
Industrial Conference.
It was announced today at the
White house that improvement in his
condition during the past few days
had made 1t possible for him to re-
ceiye written reports from Secretary
Tumulty on these and other pressing
problems. DR.. Grayson also permit
ted the President to have letter yes
terday from Senator Hitchcock, Neb.,
administration leader in the treaty
fight, outlining prospects for ratthca-
.tion of the treaty.
The PRESIDENTS physician said to-
day that while he did not sleep so
well last night he showed no signs of
fatigue this morning and that the
prestatic condition was unchanged.
Higher Washington officials are
asking each other today whether or
not ,as last resort, the government
may not be obliged to exercise its
was powerers and take over the coal
mines of the country in order to avert
q strike Of coal miners and avoid the
calamity which would be visited upon
us by such a state of affairs as John
L. Lewis, acting presiednt of the
United Mine Workers, has predicted.
1t is realized, of course that such
a drastic step would not be defensible
until every other e0pedient had been
exhausted and that 1t might be resist
ed with determination by both parties
to the present dispute. But the feel
ing is growing in this city that the
strike which has been ordered must
never be allowed to eevntuate and
that II there is no other way to stop
it the Federal Government must in-
tervene to the utmost extent OF its
authority.
Todays conference between the
Secretary of Labor and the scale COM
mittees Of the United Mine Workers
and Operators Of the Central Competi, V
tive Field will determine whether or I,
not there is possible chance first, for
a compromise between the conflicting
forces, and, second, If they are will
ing to submit their differences to ar
bitration.
1t might be expected that the, Y
miners would welcome such moye
as has Just been suggested more
readily than the operators, inasmdch,
Continued on page four1 H