Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-05-21
BELIEVE END OF STRIKE NEAR
 AT WINNIPEG Forces Have Been in Dead lock Five Days. SIGNS OF BREAK
 ARE EVIDENT Report that Soldiers Would Patrol tlc City Created Great Deal of
 Excitement,

" innlpes, Man.. May 2O.-Important developments bearing upon the gen eral strike situation in Winnipee came to the surface in rapid sncces- sion today. Although the deadlock be- tween labor and industrial employers Will enter into it's fifth night with out decision, there were signs that the marking time period was rapidly coming to and end.
 Gideon Robertson, minister of la Dor for the Dominion; Arthur Meig- hen, federal minister of the interior; T.. C. Norris, premier of Manitoba Thomas H. Johnson, provincial at torney general and Mayor Charles F. Gray, all became prominently and publicly identified with the effort to bring about peace by. adjustment.
 Ministers Robertson and Mejghen are reported to be travelling to Winni- pes from Ottawa. Premier Norris and the attorney general conferred With a delegation from the central strike committee and May Gray. prior to a conference with labor delega- tlon, addressing a special meeting of the common council on the strike sit uatiOn.
 Claims a Mistake.
 Mayor Gray told the council that a combination of circumstances had been responsible for mistakable pressure throughout Winnipeg re- garding the city's attitude toward the union forces. The mayor said that when the general strike was declared, he gave the central strike committee to understand that law and order must be maintained and that no suffering from lack of food should take place. The result was, Mayor Gray, stated, that cards were prepared for union drivers of bread and milk wagons, that the movement of these commodi- ties were approved by the union men, The drivers tackled the cards to their wagons and automobiles instead of keeping them for publication, if the vehicles were stopped.
 Mayor Gray told the council this afternoon that the central strike committee should be notified that public display of such cards must be stopped immediately and that if the order was not complied with that the city would use every available means" to have foodstuffs delivered. A conference with committee of un- ion men followed the council meet ing. s
 Mayor Gray received communica- tion from Premier T. c. Norris today, regarding these playcards. The pre- mier protested against them and said he would not take further steps to- ward mediation until the practice was stopped.
 Confer With Premier.
 The leading strike development came in the form of conference be- tween union delegates and Premier Norris and other officials regarding the officially announced willingness ment of the strike on the basis of general union recognition and rein statement of all idle members, who were employed prior to the general strike.
 Winnipeg, which has been calm since the general strike began. was on the verge of excitement this aft ernoon. Various reports that Domin- ion soldiers mobilized here would be ordered to patrol the city kept large crowds moving through the downtown districts. Late in the afternoon when footing automobiles speeded along the main streets with soldiers arriv- ing in Winnipeg from France, report quickly spread that martial law had been declared. The incident was soon understood, and Winnipeg resi- dents who have been deprived of all metropolitan conveniences except food necessities, decided that no aggressive action had been planned for today.