The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-09-11
MINERS AGAIN
ARE REBUFFED
BY PRESIDENT
He Sends Singing Answer
Of Refusal to Reopen
Wage Award.
SEES PLEDGE BROKEN
Cannot Treat With Those
Who Scrap Agreements,
He Tells Them.
SETTLEMENT NOW NEAR
Flnality Of Decision VIII Send
Men Back to Work, IL
Prediction.
SEES PLEDGE BROKEN
SETTLEMENT NOW NEAR

Special 10 THE suN AND New YoNK IiHnLlp'
WASHINGTON. Sept lO,-President
Wilson to-day informed the outlaw
anthracite mine strikers that the
Government can have no dealing with
labor unions or groups OF union mem-
bers who regard their solemn written
agreements as mere scraps OF paper,
A letter carrying his message OF
defiance was written TO United Mine
Workers officials who had asked him
10 reopen the wage award recently
made by the Anthracite Commission
The President refused 20 reopen the
award. lie commended the regularly
constituted officers OF tho United Mine
Workers who carried out their agree
ment TO accept the report and roundly
denounced the members OF tho union
who went on strike.
The message TO tho miners was prob
ably the most bitter the President has
addressed to lRborlng men In some time.
II follows another message recently sent
10 anthracite mincrS who threatened TO
refrain from work n the President ac-
cepted the majority report OF the conf
mission. on that occasion tho miners
were told their challenge would be ao-
cepted,
Text Of PreaIdents Letter.
"I am in receipt OF your telegram OF
September g." Mr., Wilson wrote I'm
forming me that you have written tho
award OF the Anthracite Coal Commits
sion into an agreement with the anthra-
cite operators, despite the fact that you
are convinced that the award In Itself
does not provide that measure OF justice
to which you believe your people are on
titled. sincerely thank you fer the
promptness with which you have acted,
Notwithstanding your disappointment
II is policy Of that kind, carried into
effect by the rank and nle OF the workers,
that has made for the steady Improve
ment Of the conditions OF tho anthracite
miners In recent years and which lays
the foundation for still further progress
you ask me to convene the Joint
scale committee Of anthracite operators
and miners for the purpose OF adjusting
certain inequalities which you assert
exist In the award OF tho Anthracite
Coal Commission. In that connection
your attention In called 10 telegram
which | sent TO Enoch Williams and
others In reply TO telegram | received
from them stating that the anthracite
miners would refrain from working un'
less set aside the award OF the Anthra-
cite Coal Commission on or before Sep
tember l."
The President quoted from his mes
sage In which he declared that II the
communication was intended as n threat
the miners could rest assured the chal'
lenge would be accepted,
Notwithstanding the plain warning
contained In that telegram. which wa:
given wide publicity" his letter contin'
ued, "the majority OF the anthracite Goa
miners, following the leadership OF these
mon, have refrained from work under
the guse OF taking vacation. In doins
20 they have not deceived any one, moi
| ven themselves,
Must stand by Agreements.
when a body OF men collectively
refrain from working by mutual under
standing. however arrived at, II Is 6
strike, no matter what name may b,
given 10 II. Our people have fought q
great war and made untold sacrifices
to insure among other things that q
solemn agreement shalt not be consld
cred az a mere scrap OF paper. We hav,
declined to enter into friendly relations
with Governments that boast OF theil
readiness TO violate treaties whenever
II suits their own convenience. and undei
these circumstances we could not lool
the world in the face or Justify our nc
tons to our own people and our owr
conscience II VIC yielded one iota TO the
men In the anthracite coal fields who are
violating the contracts so recently en-
tered into between themselves. the Goa
operators and the Government Of the
United States.
II appreciate the earnestneRs OF you'
efforts to get the men TO return to work
and commend your stand In support OF
the obligations Of your contracts. which
all men must honor, but for the reasons
stated above regret that cannot grant
your request to reconvene the Joint scale
cop,n,itfae of nneratora and minerg -