The Benson signal., 1919-12-06


front the United States, the state de-
partment officials say the execution last
week of Gen. Felipe Angeles also indi-
Gates the hostile attitude of CarranZa
toward this country. Angeles was the
foremost Mexican soldier of this day,
and was the Outspoken admirer of the
United States. But he had been the
chief aid of Villa and was captured !;
therefore he was condemned and shot
to death. While this may have been
technically just, it is likely that the
life Of so eminent man would have
been spared if he had not so freely
given voice to his friendship for this
nation.
Less startling, perhaps, than the
Mexican crisis, but of no less moment,
is the collapse of the governments eff
forts to end the coal strike by negotia-
tiOn. It's final offer to the miners was
a IA per cent wage increase. This the
operators voted to accept and the min
ers, through Acting President Lewis.
sponsibility for the crisis now confront
ing the nation must be upon those
statesmen who are using the powers of
the government to Oppress and deny
justice to the great element of citizen
ship directly concerned in the mining
industry
The operators and the miners then
adjourned sine die, and it seemed that
there was nothing left for the govern
ment except to take over and operate
the mines.
The governments compromise offer,
approved by the cabinet and made by
Fuel Director Garfield, provided there
should be no increase in the price OF
coal to the consumer and that joint
advisory board of operators and min
ers should be created with Secretary
Lane as chairman, to work out the de-
tails of wage adjustments and furnish
information and advice in future dis
putes. This offer must have been
made without hope of it's acceptance,
for Secretary of Labor Wilson previ-
titled to an advance of 31.6 per cent,
and the operators had offered an ad-
vance of 20 per cent.
The acceptance of Mr.. Wilson's con-
clusions may be affected by the fact
that he was a miner himself. Lewis
says the men consider his offer a
pledge which the government must re-
deem.
Former Secretary of the Treasury
McAdoo projected himself into the con-
troversy with a statement that the op-
orators have been making excessive
profits since the war began and can
we'll afford to pay much higher wages
without increasing the price of coal.
He said the treasury's records of ex-
cess profits taxes would prove this.
Of course the operators entered indig-
nant denial, and Carter Glass, still sec
retary, came to their defense with a
modified refutatiOn of McAdoO's aSser-
ton as to profits.
While the dispute goes on the coun-
try's stock of fuel shrinks alarmingly.
In some regions. however, the mines
are being operated steadily. Out in
the Sheridan (Wyo) field the United
States officials, civil and military,
solved the trouble surprisingly and eff
fectively. They learned that the min
ers had voted to return to the pits but
were prevented from doing so by a
campaign of intimidation by the radi-
Gals. The military, therefore, at the
request of the sheriff, rounded up
nearly three score alien agitatOrs and
sent them to Fort Mackenzie. A
meeting of the miners union was then
called, and the entire strike situation
explained by Major Dean, whereupon
the men voted unanimously to end the
strike Friday.
Governor Allen of Kansas has called
for volunteers to work the mines and
protect the people of the state from
"unspeakable suffering" and hundreds
of men have responded. Union leaders
saw these volunteers will be regarded
as strike-breakers.
u OAnnunZlO, Lno ICdlldu uTeDfdnu,
seems to have as many schemes of an
nexatiOn as the kaiser had. According
to various reports, he plans to return
with strong forces to Zara and proceed
thence to Sebenico; after selzing that
city, he will attack SpalatO, and there
he may run afoul of the American
navy, which is guarding that part of
Dalmatia; also he is said to aim at
establishing militarist government at
Triest, and now has emissaries in that
city. The allied officials in Paris how
ever now have renewed hope that a
compromise settlement of the Adriatic