The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-12
SEES RED DRIVE
IN RAILDEMAND
Senator Myers Says Brother
hoods Force BOlshevik
Test on U. S.
PRICE REMEDY URGED
Fears Russianizing of Coun-
try if Plumb Plan Is Car
ried Out.
Special pespatcA 10 TEE suw.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11.-"There has
long been an insidious spread Of Boil
shevism, of Socialism in this coun-
try. I have wondered who would put
it in concrete form. Now the veil has
been raised. The railroad brother
hoods have presented to us the test
Bolshevism against Americanism."
Senator Myers (Mon.) thus de-
clared in opening his address in IA
vor Of his resolution directing the Ju-
dietary Committee to investigate and
report on the desirability OF putting
an embargo on exports of necessaries
Of life to bring the cost of living un-
der control. The Senator devoted a
large part of his address to the threat
Of Bolshevism, using that threat to
point the necessity for corrective
measures dealing with the cost Of liv-
ing.
Senator King CUtah) interrupted to
protest against the danger OF embar-
goes, citing the history of our expert
ence with that programme during the
Napoleonic era. He declared that 1t
is impossible to export our own sur
plus without admitting the products
Of other countries In exchange, and
declared that to refuse free movement
abroad for what we could spare would
soon close factories and mines. par
alyze industry and greatly increase
the national distress.
No action was taken on the resolu-
ton. which, at Senator .Myers's re-
quest, went over for the day.
Wages Add to Lifting Cost.
THE railroad employees have threat
ened to strike II they are not given in
creased wages" said Senator Myers. Il
for one do not favor increasing their
wages The increase would not be justi-
fed. The railroads are now being op-
Grated at an enormous loss. which must
be paid by the taxpayers of the country I;
but increasing the wages of the railroad
workers would simply add to the cost Of
living.
Accompanying their demand for in
creased wages. is a demand that the in
dustries of the country be sovietized.
This demand also Is accompanied by
threats OF dire disaster to the country
II the so-called Plumb plan Is not ac-
cepted.
"I do not favor sovietizing the Indus
tries. II the railroads are Sovietized,
that will be only the entering wedge. 1t
would turn the railroads over to IA
vored few, who would fix their own
wages, and then fix the rates and in
come to be derived from the public. The
railroad employees would be made abso-
Lutte monarchs to take whatever they
want from the public. Congress each
year would then have threat of dire
disaster II it did not appropriate money
to meet the losses the Plumb plan would
bring.
After railroads were sovietiZed, then
these same people would next sovietize
the steel industry, and then all the other
industries would be sovietized.
Nation Faces Disaster.
"A vast propaganda is being carried
on with the sovietZing OF all indus
tries as the end in view the country
would be thoroughly Russlanlzed IL the
Plumb plan were carried out to its log
ical conclusion. 1t falls to the rail-
road brotherhoods to present TO this
country a concrete test OF Bolshevism as
against Americanism. 1t must be met
and decided now. 1t cannot be side
stepped or dodgsd.
There has been sinister campaign
of Bolshevism conducted openly and In
secret for many months. The network
of this propaganda has been thrown
over the entire country. II has finally
found expression in the plan for soviet
izins the railroads"
wouldn't II have been better II the
Administration had taken a stand three
years ago. instead OF forcing the Adam
son law through Congress?" asked SEN
ator Nelson (Minn.),
Wasn't the trouble then that an cleo
tion was pendlng?"
There Is an election pending now"
replied Senator Myers,
There Is one next year. But II the
railroad men hold up the country once,
/ don't believe in letting them hold 1t
up again. 1. for one. will not stand for
another holdup."
Senator Walsh (Mon.) said when
the Adamson law was passed Congress
had failed TO provide the proper board
to consider the justice of the demands.
Congregational Error Barred.
Senator Nelson declared that a board
OF arbitration was then in existence and
that II should have acted.
Congress should have enacted a law
then" the Senator continued, requiring
the labor men to arbitrate. 1t is not too
late now for such law. Compulsory
arbitration is the only relief"
"If organized labor is going TO back
up this demand to sovietize the indus
tries of the country" Senator Myers
continued. ut will find that many OF its
friends who in the paV have supported
it's reasonable demands will turn
| against It,"
Senator Myers said that he regarded It