New-York tribune., 1919-10-09
Thirty-Fiour Week and or
Per Cent Pay Increase
Sole Terms Offered Ia
the Conference To-da,
Only Hope Rests
On Action by L. S
Miners Anxious fo Tess
Power: Spirit of Bol.
shevism Is Rampant
BY Theodore M knappen

ny ihCOOofC W. NndpDfn
PITTSBURGH. Oct. = The nation
IS rushing toward the catastrophe %
a strike compared with which tho ste,l
strike will be as child's play 20 the
world war.
On November | the hfuminor.
miners Of the whole country are due
to strike. They voted to strike NJ
their national convention ia Cleveland
in the middle of September. and they
left only one alternative complet,
surrender Of the operators 80 fhei'
startling demands Their .secutls,
officers were endowed with no pienatS
powers Of negotiation. All they cal
do is TO demand unconditional sur
render OF the operators No provi
sion was made for even an armiSsicc
The only approach To negotiations
that is possible and that Is now ~
process Is formulation - g. con.
promise which may bc submitted 10 a.
extraordinary convention oi tho
miners, II the executives dare 10 cal
one In face of the msndators - ion g.
the annual convention The joint cor
ference OF the committee from th,
miners union and fhe coal mine cpcr
ators will resume it's deliberations ir
Philadelphia tomorrow. faced hv the
absolute impossibility of agreeing
upon anything in trne for cnnecu
ton of the miners To be called before
November /.
Strike Declared Inevitable
As matters now stand the strike vii
M Attfs
regardless OF the progrces Of the con
ferrees.
Only one power can intervene be
tween the nation AT Tho unspcakablr
calamity of suspension of virtually al
The soft coal mines o the nitcd
States al the beginning of vintcr
That power is the government a.
Washington. But the saving power
doing nothing. Although fAc rofesn.
ment Is party to the aels erncni be
tween the operators and the unior
which the latter has voted - shro
gate. u has 'akor mo- pnf' In -fpNinr
the coming strike. and h.,s neifhet g.
manded representation nor b., r.r
resented a' separst" pt JOINT mesIfE'
of the other two PARTIES 70 fhe aE,ce
ment
The Lever food and fuel control ac
is still Law, and viii b, FOR aiN week.
after peace is proclaimed
DR.. Harry A. Garii,id nhs ieudsrc'
his resignation as fuel adm Hi-'rsto'
and has returned to h college. hu. thf
President has not accepted ise rcsiG
nation. Tho fuol administration rec
ords have. hv order ~ -" Pre- fdftf
been turned Ger to S'cre'hft isn
the Department of tho lntsfIsf. hHf
The President ka~ conferrct rp fn'r-
on the Secretary under fr' Le.a ec'
And the President IS il and tnahi, 70
transact business.
Government >cgiects 80 Act
All the efforts oi tn. operators. tac 2
Is supported by the eycepiives of fhs
union. 20 secure govern mental uctfot
have 20 fnr failed
Powerful determined ana radical a.
the miners are. fher could not dare T.
defy a. declaration from the FIs den
that the "Nashingfon agreem'n'" i.
still in efec' because 'ne treaty O.
peace has not yet been ratified or
such a deliverancc from tho President
John Lewis. acting prrsidenf of "a,
miners union. gladly would fske he
respon stability Of declaring that here
should be no strike on November I. he
cause i would be ~ violation &C. ms
agreement without such a pp'cnt sc
cision behind HIM. pc wii have - fol
low his wilful arms into nafions
strike.
Men Anxious to strike
They are thirsiing for strike
They desire L Ks y means of Sc ION
stration OF their AhsolD'o cpr'frl
bituminous coal production.
They desire il a. d means o' IofeIrN
their already determined nafiunHi's.
tion Of fhe coal mines
Thousands of ;hom. red-soaked
the doctrines Of Bol-hevism. cla~fr
for the strike the means OF sNnd
Calling tho coal mines without the
aid or consent OF go'.rnmcn;. snf
even a. starting genef-s rcd reNolu
tion in America.
The public has no conception Of n
way in which Il large eiemen' among
the miners has absorbed the Roish.NiA
economy and the theory % soviet cob
troll They arc Tor ln tens 80 fhou-
sands no. as som isi.ae tn ""'-.t lr
another generation. hut now They &c"
il coming through nafluf frctel'.4
and starving in the depths of winter
Power of Unions Absolute
There is TO denying iheit power
Some Of the greatest coal upcrators
in America have ,eld me. almost
auaking as they spoke. that the unioh
holds virtually all the soft coal mines
of America IN 'hs hollow Of lfr hand
Wien II goes on strike the nation vii.
go cold. coalless ard shen hungry as
certainly as time rNs cs There ~ NJ
shadow Of n possibility Of replacing
the miners. There are no divisions ia
their ranks. Their organization IL In
Vulnerable 10 all cfdf aary methods ~
| attack. When the ines close thev
VIII remain siesed until starvation