The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-11-07
HuNcER THE CHIEF DANGER.

mere defensive attitude the part Of the govern
ment toward the coal strike is not enough TO meet
the needs of the situation The prevention of conspiracy
and the suppression of disorders do not bring coal from
the ground. There must be affirmative as well as
negative policy if the country and the world are to be
saved from appalling disaster Not an hour to be lost
While there is a small stock of coal on hand, sufficient
to keep the railroads and factories going for few days
the cessation of production from union mines will be 1e
keenly soon and from shortage to famine the step Is
very small Already the government has smut down on
exports of coal although the needs of European coun-
tries are far more pressing than the needs here Eng
land is trying to take advantage of the american strike
to increase her coal output and capture some of the trade
that had drted America during the war; but England
is still short of coal and will have little or none to spare
for the continent France is not getting enough coal
for her people, and unless the situation is remedled I'm
mediately there will be many deaths by freezing TINS
winter Germany stripped of coal; Denmark sweden
Norway and Holland dependent upon the omteo
Staes Span is on coal ratons and Italy is suffering
worst of all The decline of the franc and the ira nave
d tho cost Of coal excessive ton of American coal
costing nearly $50 in France and nearly 500 in italy,
1t seems to be taken for granted that II coal Is luf
nished to househoders in this country there Will be no
serious consequences from the strike But that is mis-
taken opinion The denial Of coal to factories means
greater hardshps than the denial of coal to housenou
At pinch most households can be heated by WOOD hre
or kerosene stoves but if factories are closed down ei
will he dleness and starvation The most important
duty of the hour keep the people employed so 'n"'
least To
Of the high cost of living Without coal there cannot
be employment; and without employment there VIII DC
other hardships added to freezing.
a Optimistic repors regarding the early return OF the
union miners to their work are not sufhclenV
ance in the present emergency There is nothing 'ango''
It upon which to base these reports The SITUATION IN WHICH
tho unon labor cause finds itself does not lead to the
orcusion that ehminers will easily abandon their po
,ition They have been caught at great disadvantage
N nv the impounding of their strike allowance ou' 'hc
l. no rtantv that this obstacle will remain or that II
will prove insurmountable. determined purpose can
T. accomplish wonders when of thousands OF noNu
, uals stand united.
The n,ans for conferences" of various sorts do moi
rive much promise for the early extraction OF coal
and actual extraction of coal is the only possible way
e If avoiding calamity. Unless an armisce can De reach
d in the coal and steel strikes it is not to be expected
that nnion labor leaders will go into conference atte
their recent experiences An armsce would be regarded
ID as confession of the failure of the steel and coal strikes
with the logical consequence of rupture OF unonsm
hose fields and that is something which union labor a
whole represented by the American Federation OF Lad
re bor will not accept without more desperate srugg
than any that has yet occurred in the United States
conference without an armstice would be an attempt
nv carry on both peace and war which proved by tn
W. regent industrial conference to be an absurdlty
An urgent duty confronts the United States govern
ment It is the Immediate extraction of coal on seal
~ commensurate with absolute necessities The people WI
&c 90 hungry unless the present stoppage Is quickly sue
ceeded by production. 1t is not merely reezing ina
hreaens-it is hunger The emergency will not wait 10
n ong winded conferences The coal supply on hand
en- being devoured as in vast furnace. Within very fey
DAYS unless supplied, factories will shut down ana worn
ngmen and their families will be face to face with deat
' Washington Post.