The Washington herald., 1920-04-10
Both Passenger and Freiehl
Service May Be Com
pletely Paralyzed.
TUBE TRAIlMEN VOTE
Defiant Workmen Walk Out
Apparently Without
Guide of Leaders.


motormez and trainmen of the
Hudson tubes at midnight
voted a strike to be effective
at S o'clock tomorrow morn-
ing.
New York, April o.-The me
tropolitan district came to a real
ization tonight that it is threat
ened with a transportation crisis
that will cut the city and suburbs
apart from rest of the country.
1t appeared probable that the
morning would see all railroad
service, both passenger and freight
paralyzed. The Hudson tubes.
which carry thousands of COM
muters between New York and
New Jersey. are menaced by
strike votes that were being taken
among motormcn and trainmen
tonight.
The Hudson River ferries have,
Deen giving only partial service
for a week because OF a strike az
harbor boatmen that is belie-cd 10
nave augmented restlessness among
the tube employees and the rsil-
road switchmen. A strike of Icrg.
shoremen has tied up all the Goa ST.
wise lines for month.
Men Are LeaderIess.
The strike fever appears TO b.v,s-
taken hold of all classes of tra,s-
portation workers and to be Sweep
ing them, leaderless and in defi-
ance of their national officers. into
general offensive against their
employers.
The passenger service of all the
railroads that have their terminals
in Jersey City became demoralized
tonight because of the increasing
congestion, despite the embargo on
freight. The lines include the Gen.
trail of New Jersey. the Lackawan-
ma, the Lehigh Valley and the Erie.
On the New York Central, which
enters New York by land from the
North. and the Pennsylvania, which
has an underwater tube to it's
terminal, service was maintained,
but officials were not confident for
tomorrow, because the strike fever
has already affected the men In
their yards.
j. ]. MantelI, chairman of the
strike committee of the railroads,
admitted tonight that the crisis 10
acute.
More Trains stopping.
A singular phase of the strike Is
the difficulty found in locating lead
ers of the men who can tell what
they want. The railroad yardmen
are members of the trainmen's
brotherhood, but they have struck
in defiance of the brotherhood lead
ers. So far as has developed, the
men are being guided by radicals,
who have suddenly seized leader
ship. and by Tom Healey. who has
been directing the strike of the har-
Dor boatmen employed on railroad
ferryboats and tugs. The sweep OF
the yardmen to a suspension OF
work was a much-needed reinforce
ment for Healey and his marine
strikers.
The food situation is serious. The
supply Of perishable foods, includ-
ing meats and poultry, will meet the
demands of consumers only until
Tuesday or Wednesday. Wholesale
prices scared today.
Fight Won. Says Unions.
Chicago. April es-The railroad
brotherhoods claimed tonight they
had won their fight against dissent
ing members and that the back
bone of the railroad strike had been
broken in Chicago. Leaders of the
radical groups were unwilling to
admit defeat They said while the
brotherhoods had succeeded in win
ming back a few men in Chicago the
strike had swept throughout the
country.
A plea of representatives of the big
brotherhoods to railroad managers
for more time to break the strike
was the outstanding feature of to-
days Developments The brother
hoods made their representations to
j. w. Higgins. executive secretary
of the Western Railroad Managers
Association.
According to Higgins the broth
erhoods continue to bring in loyal
union men to break the strike.
strike Against Brotherhood.
That the strike was aimed against
the bro,herhoods as much as against
the railroads was indicated by q
statement ok John Grunau, president