The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-12
REGULAR ARMY
/, TROOPS ARE NOW
lFI BEING PREPARED
Death List to Date Is Seven
- Action of the Various
Branches of the Central
Labor Union on Question
of Sympathetic Strike Is
Now Being Awaited With
Some Feeling of Uncer-
tainty. Faii%R9 9ES,n

Boston, Sept. l2-The government and
laws of the commonwealth OF Massachu-
setts cannot be arbitrated. This declara-
ton from the State House to-day was in
response to an incessant public demand
to know the attitude of the state toward
the striking policemen and suggestions
of compromise. "The men are deserters,"
said Governor Coolidge "This is not a
strike. These men were public officials.
We cannot think Of arbitrating the gov
ernment or the form of law. There can
be no opportunity for any compromise
in respect A. either. My personal opin
ion is that they would not be taken back
if they yielded, to my view"
The governor added, however, that his
only authority in this matter was over
the police commissioner, who admins
tered the department.
In the last "a hours there have been
suggestions of compromise, beginning
with the statement that if allowed to
affiliate with the American Federation
of Labor the policemen would never be
called out on strike in sympathy with
other union organizations Labor leaders
have not admitted that they would make
further concessions. At the same time
influential persons have urged that the
governor refuse to deal with the strikers
at all and in the event of sympathetic
strikes by the fremen, electrical work
ers, carmen, telephone operators and the
building trades, advised him TO call for
federal troops and fight the issue to the
bitter end.
The governors intimation that the
fate of the striking policemen, so far as
the state is concerned, was in hands Of
Police Commission Curtis, led to inquir-
ies at the latter's office about his posi-
tion. The commissioner could not be
reached, but his counsel, James H. Dev-
lin, ir., said: "In my opinion the police
men who left their posts have worn the
uniform of-the Boston police force for
the last time. While the commissioner
has not acted on this particular point Of
reinstatement, | feel certain that the
men who struck have separated them
selves finally from the department"
Soldiers Of the state guard continued
In charge of the streets, aided by the
force of volunteer policemen and such
members of the regular force as had re-
fused to desert their posts Little diff
guilty was experienced in breaking up the
crowds, except in one or two sections,
Further confidence in the ability of
the authorities to maintain the upper
hand was inspired by reports from the
harbor forts, Camp Devens and army
posts in New York and New Jersey of
active preparations to send regular army
troops here il an emergency call should
be made.
Military leaders estimated that $4,000
regulars could reach the city within IL
hours.
The death list as direct result of the
strike, now in its third day, stood to day
at seven. Several OF the fatalities were
due to firing by euardsmen into mobs
found breaking windows and looting
stores, while two resulted from efforts
bf soldiers to break up dice games which
during the first two days were played
openly in the streets and on Boston
common. Another of the ~dead was a
striking policeman shot down by store
keeper who feared his place of business
was about to be sacked.
The action of the constituent bodies
of the Central Labor union on the ques-
tion of going. out in support Of the po-
iicemen was being awaited with some
uncertainty