Evening star., 1919-09-22
Nothing To Say"
Gary's Comment
on the Clash.
SHOWING OF MEN
PLEASES LEADER
Shots Are Fired on Plant at North
Clarion, Pa, and Arrests
Made.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, September r.
EIbert H. Gary, chairman of the
board of directors of the United
States Steel Corporation, declined to
comment on the steel strike to-
day. He came to his ONCE about
1850 O'Clock, his usual hour, but
when pressed for a statement he
declared,
'There In nothing to say"
MIR. Gary admitted that he was
receiving reports on the strike
from the various subsidiaries of
the Steel Corporation, but neither
he nor any of the other Ofncers
would make any comment upon
them.
The preliminary skirmish in the great
industrial struggle which opened today
between the labor unions and the United
States Steel Corporation, which directly
or indirectly affects a half million wage
earners, produced the usual conflicting
claims by the generals on both sides.
In the great strategic centers of the
struggle, the Chicago and Pittsburgh
districts. many thousands of workers
obeyed the strike order. but early re-
ports stated that comparatively few
plants had been compelled to close. At
a large number of the outlying points
officials Of the smaller plants reported
they were operating as usual.
Secretary Foster of the steel work.
ers' union issued statement express
ing satisfaction with the outlook and
claiming that reports from outside
the Pittsburgh district showed that
the shutdown was general.
An important feature of the situa-
tion was the announcement by repre-
kaH -
ployed by the Bethlehem Steel Com
pany that these men would not join
the strike pending an attempt to OBJ
tain conference with the company
officials. - -
Some OF the blast furnaces in the
Pittsburgh district were banked, but
the majority Of the plants were In
operation. although with forces re-
duced from Is per cent to 66 per cent.
In the Chicago district, Including
Gary and Hammond, Where 10000
steel workers are employed, similar
conditions were reported.
At Cleveland the union leaders
claimed that $4,000 men were out
and that sixteen mills of the Ameri-
can steel and Wire Company, em-
ployfng 5000 men, were closed down.
At ohio's second greatest steel CEN
-Youngstown-the strike leaders
also claimed that the great majority
of the workers had struck. and at
Stepbenvills. where three plants of
the Carnegie Steel Company are To-
Gated. it was asserted that all three
had been forced to suspend opera
tions.
AT the less important points in Ohio
and Pennsylvania, including Ports
mouth, Warren. Canton, Toledo. Column
bus. Lorain, Pottsville. Reading and
Harrisburg, officials of the various
plants announced that their men had
remained loyal and that operations
were in full swing. One notable ex-
ception was Johnstown. Pa, where
$4,000 men were reported to have
struck.
Outside the great pivotal states of
Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, con-
ditions were reported nearly normal,
with few important exceptions.
At Buffalo. where the great inde-
pendent plants of the Lackawanna
Steel Company are located, the union
chiefs claimed that 10 per cent of the
workers had obeyed the strike call
At Wheeling, w. Va, it was asserted
that 5000 men were idle, and the
Colorado Fuel and Iron Company's
plant at Pueblo. Col. was. closed down
when its 1000 employees walked out
The mills of the Illinois Steel Com
pany at South Chicago were closed
the unions estimating that 95 pei
cent of the 1000 men on the day
shift had struck