El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-12-25
COAL MEM FACE
AGTI0NINC0URT
Government viii Prosecute
Operators If They In
sist On Changes.

chose and that the president could
be asked TO add advisory personnel,
but the judgment or voting power
will remain in the hands Of Rem
brandt Peale, coal operator, and said
to be one Of the broadest gaged men
in the industry John p. White, a
former president Of the United Mine
Workers, and H. NJ Robinson, former
member OF the shipping board and
one Of the members Of the industrial
commission recently appointed BY
the president to take the place OF
the three groups in the capital and
labor conference that broke u in q
disagreement
Cannot Go Back On Pledge.
The government through its
Spokesman contests that the operat-
ors have previously accepted the
plan OF a commission TO arbitrate
the dispute and that they cannot 60
back on that pledge now. It de-
velops that before the attorney gem
eral went to Indianapolis he en-
deavored to get in touch with A. ~
Wogle, one Of the operators. but the
latter was not in the city Rush
ators said he would speak for the
operators and went 10 Mr.. Palmer's
home. where the attorney general eL-
planned in detail the governors plan
The attorney general insists
that the operators said nothing
to indicate their disnpprOVaI and
that IL was only after period Of
nearly 10 days had elapsed, dur
ing which. time the miners were
being slowly brought back to
work. that an outcry came from
the operators.
Few things have illustrated more
clearly 10 official Washington the
manner in which the public can be
imposed upon than the tactics pur-
sued first by the coal miners and
then by the operators
Il is the firm belief Of the govern
ment for Instance that Messrs- Lewis
and Green, president and secretary
were forced by international politics
IN their union to call a strike and
that Frank Harrington, president OF
the Illinois miners,a led the attack
with a radical program and forced
the strike
Peabody Action n tIystery.
The fact that Frank Peabody. one
Of the biggest OF the Illinois opera
tors, displayed a sympathetic atti-
tude toward the program OF Far
rington, has always been one Of the
mysterious things about the origin
Of the coal strike which has evoked
much curiosity here Some people
have gone SO far as to assert that
they believed the operators were in
uuenctng the radical miners in Illf-
nois- An interesting sequel. how
eV er, is the part played by Mr.. Pea
body in Indiapanolis. where he as
sisted the government in securing an
acceptance OF its plan by the miners.
be Is known to have persuaded his
friend, Mr. Harrington, TO go along
With president Lewis and secretary
ateen and bring about an agreement
among the miners 10 accept the
Palmer proposal
Now, however, that the govern
ment has the miners acceptance, Il
plans to insist even TO the extent OF
prosecutoin that the operators keep
their pledge and submit the matters
II dispute to an arbitration board Of
three
And the view which I find In
executive quarters IS not one Of con-
demnation OF all the operators but
one OF Impotence with a few who
have protessed to speak for the
operators and whose disagreemeuts
with eaeh other have threatened 10
upset the governments latest eTort
% settle the coal controversv.-
Copyright, 1919 the FL Paso Herald.