Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-27
Secrecy Maintained Con-
cerning Campaign to
Keep Mines Open.
DRASTIC ACTION IF
MINERS WALK OUT
Government Believed to BE Contem.
piatino Arrest and Prosecution OF
Mine Officials For Disobeying War
Time Aareement--oniy Radical Ele-
rnsnts to Be Severely Dsast With
Methods Of Miners Held Unjust

Methods Of Miners Hold Unjust
washington. Oct. 27.-Measures to
meet the situation which would result
from the strike Of miners were con-
sidered today by administration off,
Gals. No reply from officers OF the
United Mine Workers to the demand OF
President Wilson that the strike be
called off is expected until after the
miners meeting next Wednesday.
The administration's program for
dealina with the strike naturally Will
not be disclosed until the strike has
= developed.
ITO announce now what the govern.
nenx will do In the event OF strike
said one official, would be to play INTO
the hands OF the bolshevik element. II
YOU are going to start an offensive you
do not tell the other fellow what you
are going to do"
Il While it Is thought campaign
against radicals is expected otiiciais
said It is not intended to antagoniIe
the conservative element. Offtclals
said many Of the demands may DC
lust, 'rbut 1t is the methods they are
using that are unjust"
Governments Plan Of Action.
The federal governments plan OF ac-
tion 10 support President wilson's
command forbiddinS general strike IN
the bituminus fislds next Saturday VA
definitely established last night
The basic principle Of tfis plan Is
Tor The government firss 70 fssceTeain
axactly how the workers In the vAft-
nus coal districts 3eel toward the
strike order-whether they desire Ito
.cuuasu =. r and uphold the w.
: ,ngton agreement or whether they de-
sire to strike. :.
To do this the coal districts win
be divided into a series OF small sec
tions. The sentiment In each section
will be sounded. It was not stated
whether this would be by refer
endum among the workers or by other
means.
Martial Law Planned.
But in each district !. where the
strike Is upheld and the men go out.
II was said authoritatively that martial
law would be proclaimed at once un-
der the Presidents war powers.
Whatever further steps have been
decided upon were not disclosed.
Today the entire country waited OK
pectantly for the miners answer to
president Wilson's statement, which
in a sentence, says: you shall not
strike"
There was not . word. however. to
denote where tho United Mine Workers
of America stood.
Considering the temper Of labor, Of
ficial washington took the view that,
while there was hope Of compliance
nv the half million miners who had
been ordered out, there was no alb
solute assurance the Presidents let
ter-part appeal and part command
would bring peace to the coal fields.
But there seemer to be no doubt Of
the governments determination to sec
the people obtained an adequate coal
supply to keep them from suffering
and permit the nations vast INDUS
tries to continue operation.
John L. Lewis. president Of the Un-
tied Mine Workers Of America, the one
man whose word would have most
weight with the half million ready
to walk out, was out Of touch with
labor leaders here, while speeding
romeward to take personal charge Of
the strike.
Lewis TO Springfield.
Lewis left washington last night
l for Springfield, ILL.,, proclaiming to the
last that the situation was unchanged
and the union still was ready and Will
ing to negotiate q new wase agreement.
So far as 1t concerned the contro-
4 versy between the miners and op-
Y orators the outstanding declaration
by President Wilson was that the
4 wartime agreement. which the min
ers contend no longer exists, stlll Is
I In full force and effect and will
4 stand during the continuance OF the
wsr, but not beyond April 1. 1920"
still Hope For Psaes.
Looking at It in "a practical way"
Lewis, and the full scale committee
i stead dfastly have maintained that the
war ended with the armistice and
tia. tS &. 9 MIXERS. for full year. have
worked At the. old wage as their vol
untary contribution to the Job Of
helping the country get back to nor
NAL. 4; l,5y VI ~,
There WAS : suggestion last night
that the cabinet misht decide to send
!. Secretary OF Labor Wilson to Indian
apolis to confer with tho executive
board OF the United Mine Workers Of
America, which viii meet there on
z "Wednesday 3
Labor leaders hero said that In
View Of the efforts made BY the Sec
setary 70 settle the strike and IN the
z light Of the presidsnt's emphatic an
noUncemsnt the mines had tc ressia!n
sopsn, q persenal word spoken to
X p. as,nS1n,a ~ <Sn f,na ~ sni1h K nave