Arizona republican., 1919-10-25
PAGE TWO

 piled, as they saw the last of his hard WcFk fall down.
 There was little hope of settling the strike when the miners and operators met late today after two offers by the secretary had been rejected.
 m opening the meeting Mir. Wilson sad he had just come from the White rouse With message from the pres loeht urging peace that the people might have a bountiful stock of coal Miners and operators, sitting in sep artte groups, listened closely while the secretary read the letter from the president, embodying his suggestions Tor settling the strike.
 Thomas T. Brewster chairman of the coal operators scale committee, late tonight issued the following state ment:
 "The operators accepted Presi-
 dent Wilson's proposal to resume
 negotiations for a wage scale and
 to submit to arbitration any points
 which could not be agreed to, the
 mines to be kept at work during
 negotiations. This the miners re-
 fused, thereby breaking off the ne- 9otfations and making the strike
 inevitable.
 "The refusal of the miners to
 accept or consider any of the
 propositions submitted, including
 the final proposition from Presi-
 dent Wilson to submit all matters
 to arbitration, demonstrated their
 determinatlon that the coal sup
 ply of the United States will be
 cut off unless their demands are
 granted in full. Mr. Lewis is run ming true to his statement that the
 nNak -NA k-slx The United Mine Workers of Amer iea, in a statement tonight, asserted that the operators walked out of the conference" and did exactly what they set out deliberately to do in the first place-foree the bituminous miners of the United States to strike"
 The operators, it was charged, did not want or intend to negotiate a new wage agreement, and that they had declined to do so in conference with Secretary Wilson.
 We charge that full responsibility for whatever may be the result or the consequences must rest on the opera |. tors" the statement said. Because of their stubborn determination that no new agreement should be reached
 Discussing the presidents offer. the statement said:
 Knowing that the operators were dead set against the making of a new agreement. we know that if both sides accented the two propositions made by President Wilson-one for negotia- tion-and the other for arbitration-tht opetators would prevent a contract by negotiation and the other for arbitra' tion--the operators would prevent 2 contract by negotiation and theI throw the entire matter into arbitra- ton. Such arbitration would be . long drawn out proceeding, deliber ately made so by operators, and dur ing all of the long weeks and months which would be consumed by the ar bitration the miners would be com pelled to continue to work at the pres ent Wholly inadequate wages and un der the present unbrearable working conditions.
 "it was entirely possible for the
 miners and operatros to negot
 ate a new agreement before the 4 first day of November if the op- erators had been willing to meet
 the miners in a fair, honest effort
 to do SO.
 a "But we find that the only remed 4 left to us is a suspension of work r to obtain better conditions and wages We did not want to strike. No on l understands better what a strik ' means than do the coal miners wh have been through strikes in the pas But when conditions become unbear able. as they have in this case. tn coal miners must do what the grea A American people did when German became arrogant and oppressive.
 They must assert their manhood We have no fear as to the outcom, Nor do we have any fear that tn American public will see the justic of our position and our action