New-York tribune., 1919-11-07
Strike Opposed IN
West Virginia
Miners Loyci to Union,
but " ant to Wornn; De-
ciSion Of Court Asvaited
STAFF Correspondence

STAFF Cores pond~,cr
WHEELING, W w., Nov. 6.-As
seen in West Virginia to-day almost
anything may happen if Judge Andcr-
son issues decree in indianapolis
Saturday directing the United Mine
Workers to rescind the strike order.
William Roy. president OF this sub
district of the mine workers, says that
there viii be trouble
Mine operators say that the trouble
viii be all for the anion, because the
men, they say, viii rush for their old
Jobs the moment sucn an order is
issued
Government representatives say that
if anything starts there viii Oe lot
Of trouble for some one. and they don't
think much Of it viii be coming to the
soldiers. 1t is doubtful If any menace
OF general disorder has ever been met
so preparedly as has the threat Of
violence in the West Virginia coal
fields. Although not shot has been
cred or a stone thrown, all the trouble
spots in West Virginia are in the
grip Of regular soldiers. Just how
many there are new in the state nobody
the handling Of the situation 10 MAIN
tain an air Of mystery about the mill
tary preparations, but it is possible
that there are 5000 stationed at critl-
cal points.
Many Threats, No Action
This show of force, compiled with
Federal action in the courts, has rather
nonplussed the tive elements that have
been looking hopefully forward to
trouble They are the lighting miners
who are impatient Of the way the non
union miners are staying on the JOB
and the revolutionary elements inspired
and directed by the /. W. ". Neither
faction relshes lighting regulars or
being caught in the uets Of the Federal
courts There have been threats
galore OF what is to be done, but when
It comes to action there is nothlng
done. Three Bulgarian Bolsheviki were
arrested to-day or plotting TO blow up
the Beech Bottom mine and hold up
the paymaster. That is the nearest
approach to violence in TINS section.
it is conceded, however, that the
ground has been prepared for insur-
rection. The turbulent miners have
been soaked in Red htcature for
months and thousands Of them have
reached the stage where the viii is
ready if the way is opened. Federal
and state officials say that 1t VIII never
open and that If any OF the zealots at
tempt to force it they will receive a
lesson that viii be long remembered
here and in every Red" rendezvous IN
the country.
Mostly Law Abiding
The great majority OF the miners
are law abiding and secretly seem op-
posed to The strike. heard to-day Of
many straw votes taken by the miners
themselves out of curiosity and they
were all against The strike, although
al had walked out in obedience TO the
strike order. They are on strike be-
cause their officers have ordered 1t,
and for no other reason.
In this section the coal strike is
like the steel strike-in that il was
made to order and is not natural
development. 1t is an officers strike.
The men are out because the are 10y
al to their organization. This spirit
of loyalty may, however. prompt them
to 90 back to work when they find
they are between superior and an in
ferior allegiance, between their duty
to The country and their duty to their
organization. On the other hand. the
psychology of the situation may dcvel-
op tcling Of mpathy for their
officers as abused and prosecuted men
in which case they VIII stand by them
The strike enterprise here interests
the men only as the avenue to more