Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-29
CABINET DECIDES
HOW To PROCEED
IN CASE MINERS
DEFY PRESIDENT
Plan Of Action Is Not Dis
closed But It Is Learned
UnoffiCiaHy That the Public
Is to Have Protection,
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
HAVEN'T GIVEN UP HOPE
Strike of 100000 Coal Dig.
gers May Be Ayerted, IS the
Opinion Expressed in Some
Quarters at Washington,

tBY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wtRE1
Washington, Oct. 2S.-How to deal
with the soft coal strike, in event the
miners, ignoring President Wilson'S
command to stay on the job, walk out
Friday night, was definitely agreed
upon today at two-hour meeting of
the cabinet.
The plan of action was not disclosed,
gbut it is known that the cabinet stood
as one man for protection of the rights
of the public, which would suffer with
the closing of the mines in which or
dinarily more than 100000 members
of the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea are employed. ..
But while steps already taken and
which might be regarded as drastic
were approved, Secretary Lansing, who
presided, brought word from the meet
ing that the situation was not hopeless
All day the belief had grown that the
international executive board, at its
meeting tomorrow at Indianapolis,
would postpone the strike, at least
Hope was expressed in some quarters.
that the strike would be called off by
the men who had called it, but Off
cials declined to say whether this is
based upon information purporting to
convey some idea as to the attitude
of the union.
Mr.. Lansing would not say if any
facts had been laid before the meet
ing to justify hope of averting the
strike.
Labor Secretary Optimistic.
Secretary of Labor Wilson, familiar
with the way of miners through long
service as an officer of their national
organization, said it might be several
days before a decision was reached by
the executive board at Indianapolis.
1--WE still have the functions OF q
mediator to perform" he said, in an
nc CNpring that no new str''-< dev v7Ja7Ht
ments had been brought to his atten-
ton
Most officials had thought that John
L. Lewis, acting president of the
United Mine workers, who had sum-
moned his full scale committee to the
meeting tomorrow, would make imme-
diate announcement of the reply of
his men to President Wilson's letter.
According to the view held by Mr..
Wilson, however, ther1 may be no an
swer until the very last moment. An
eleventh hour decision to postpone or
CdnCtl llt StllhC WOuld llOb w SUI pas
ing, it was said, but there was some
doubt as to whether word could be
sent to the men in time to keep them
at work.
The railroad administration, it was
learned today, is putting forth every
effort to move the coal already mined
to districts where present stocks are
running dangerously low. Meantime
government agents were taking
quick census and trying to find out
how long the stocks on hand might
last. In the absence of an authorita-
tive statement, stock reports were con-
flicting, but it was said that union
estimates of enough to supply de-
mands for thirty days were not far
wrong.
1.-THE government is ready for the
worst but is hoping the worst will not
happen, firm in the belief that the
miners will respond patriotically to the
presidents appeal and keep the mines
running while negotiating new wage
agreement" was the summing up to-
night of government official in touch
with the situation. Everything de-
pends on what is done at Indianapo-
lis"