Republican farmer., 1920-01-09
INTERNATIONAL
 MINE WORKERS
 OFFICERS REPORT
Decided to Submit to In evitable-Protest Gov
 ernment's Stand.

Columbus. Ohio Jan 5-Interna- tionai officers of the United Mine Workers of America in agreeing to declare the recent miners strike at an end decided to submit to the inevitable although protesting in our hear4s against what we believed to be the unjust attitude of our govern mezt'- according to the report Of Acting President John L. Lewis and Secretary-Treasurer William Green at the special miners convention here today.
 The report reviews the miners con- troversy from the date of the Cleve- land convention up to the present time. Few if any developments not already made public are revealed and there is not the slightest hint that another strike is contemplated.
 The international officers in their report state that .thigh hopes" are en- tertained that the decisions to be reached by the commission of three appointed by President Wilson will be fair and just, to meet with the general approval of our membership
 Members of the commission are highly praised and declared to be ''men of high character, trained in the consideration of industrial questions
 International officers, the report states, realized tfbetter than the mem bership of our unions, the purpose and determination of the federal govern ment'' and decided to accept the plan proposed by President Wilson, which called for an immediate increase of IA Der cent The original demands of the miners called for an increase of 50 per cent. in wages.
 At the time the acceptance was made, the report continues, it was pointed out to the miners leaders that the strike had passed from mere controversy between operators and miners over a question of wages, to an issue between the supremacy of law and the ability of the govern ment to enforce it's mandates and de- creeS.
 "In other words, it was no longer controversy between employer and employee, but instead test between the strength of a group of working men and the government itself"
 The report states that at the time of the Cleveland convention, when the strike order was tentatively is- sued, mo one could foresee the turn events have taken and the necessity in meeting the new and unexpected situations which have arisen. It has been found quite impossible to fol- low the rigid and inflexible policy laid down at the Cleveland conven- lion. We have been forced to ad- just ourselves to a changed situation rot contemplated or considered when the original plans and policies were adopted.
 "The Lever law, wartime meas ure, is still in effect. Under its pro- S-rf@ +u. wartime powers and was fully sup ported by the judicial, military, legis- lative and executive branches of the government.
 'The court construed the Lever law to mean thae where two men agreed to quit mining coal they were guilty of conspiracy and subject to the punishment of the Lever law.
 we are conf1dant that it was not generally understood by our mem bership that these wartime measures were still in effect or that the Lever law denied our membership the righi to strike or applied to them in any way whatsoever.
 ''We have endeavored to meet the most trying situations ever presented to the officers of g. labor organization in a broad minded constructive way We could not afford. at any time, tc substitute feeling for judgment wher our reasoning powers dictated a righ, course of action. We would be unfi to lead you or to act for you if WI did not decide in a crisis to follow policy which our best judgment con vinced us could best protect the inter ests of our vast membership and thos, dependent upon them. We have mad, our decisions based upon existing cir cumstances and facts. We are conf dent that time will vindicate ou every act and justify the course WI have pursued"