New-York tribune., 1919-09-24
Senate Calls
Inquiry toFM
Strike Blame
Continued from page l

ator Kenyon said the object of the in
vestigation would be to remedy indus
trial conditions by legislation. if that
were possible.
Il am greatly disturbed" said Sen
ator Smith, at the tendency that
seems TO be prevalent throughout the
country that the Congress Of the United
States shall be the place where the
relations IN q great industrial world
shall be determined. | think the com
mon sense OF the people at large should
be tested out to the very last before
We begin what in my mind seems to
be q tendency toward socialism,"
Does the Senator think the investi-
cation Of great strike that enters into
all our industrial relationship is So
cialsm . asked Senator Kenyon.
Oppose Federal Action
ut is. if we are locking toward
legislation that is to regulate all of
our industrial affairs" replied Senator
Smith. at seems to me that the
causes are now more or less known.
They have not been kept secret. The
public is well informed as to what are
the causes. AS to the inside matters.
II there are any-and the public, of
course, is more or less interested-it
had better suffer some i'll and preserve
our government as it is and let such
diseases work themselves out than to
attempt to cure them by worse dis
ease"
81 am not ordinarily in favor of
miscellaneous Investigations" said
Senator Knox, of Pennsylvania, "and
where conditions are as they have been
suggested by the Senator from South
Carolina | think it is just as we'll if
they are localized and are definite and
specific to work themselves out But
1t seems to me, il what we see in the
press is true, that there are issues
upon which a dvelopment of facts in
this case bears that are much broader
than the mere remedial legislation that
might be passed to regulate strikes.
Americanism an Issue
Il read in this mornings papers that
in certain of the large and older and
baster established mills in the city of
Pittsburgh and in its vicinity, where
now practically 100 per cent American
labor is employed, there is no strike.
saw it also stated that the principal
difficulty was with the Slavs and other
foreigners. for whom we have been
pouring out blood and treasure in the
last year and a half.
i DO not vouch for the truth of
these statements, but suppose it is
true that the Americans want to work
ana That the foreigners, for whom we
have done so much and for whom we
are being asked to do so much, are
striking, why should we not ascertain
that fact as a basis for a policy that
this government should pursue?"
I suggested that that complaint has
sseen made replied Senator Kenyon.
and that was fact that we ought to
know, one of the reasons why l have
been stimulated to introduce this reso-
iutlon. Certainly knowing ali the facts
IN tfls matter on both sides of this
controversy cannot do any harm and
may result in good"
Whole Nation Concerned
.,l - feel very warm sympathy for
the resolution offered by the Senator
TO examine into this matter said Sem
stor Owen, of Oklahoma. "There are
more things involved in it by far than
either the capital or the labor. All
OF those who use steel products arc
lace to face with a denial of those
things which are essential and neces-
sary IN their lines of industry. The
whole of the American people are con-
cerned IN this controversy and there
are direct conflicts of statements made
with regard to the merits of the con-
IIroversy itself, and | think that the
united States government may very
properly. on behalf Of the people of
me ; United States, make an inquiry
lhto 1t, and ascertain what the truth
S' so thta a national policy could be
uased upon what may be found to be
,he truth in this very serious and wide
extended matter 1t goes into many
states. 1t affects the whole country
am altogether in favor of the reso-
lution.'
"a realize the gravity of this strike. I
t,nink. as keenly as any man in the
United States, and l am not only