The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-13
TURN IN STRIKE SITUATION EAST OF CLEVELAND Additions to Strikers Ranks Cause Serious Stoppage of
 Traffic and Close
 Industries
sy Associated Press


 Chicago, April 12-wniIe the unauthor- ized strike of railroad employees, which started in Chicago two weeks ago with the walkout of zoo switchmen on the Chi cago Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad, today appeared gradually to be waning in the middle west and the far west. the situation in the territory east of Cleve- land took on more serious aspect
 The center of developments in the walk out of insurgents had definitely shifted to the east, where additions to the ranks of the rebel railroad workers had caused a serious stoppage of freight and passen- ger traffic and the closing of several in- dustries dependent on the railroads for supplies
 The situation in the Chicago yards showed marked improvement and reports from other large railroad centers fin the middle west indicated that the crisis of the strike was past and that strikers were returning to work in consideraoie numbers. officers of lailroad brother hoods who have been lighting the strike since it's inception were confident that the breaking up of the waliSout in the Chicago territory would be followed by d general resumption of work in other areas PALMER EXPECTED TO ACT A pronouncement of the government course of action in the strike was ex- pected to be made at Washington to- morrow by Attorney General Palmer. In- vestigators of the department of justice were completing an inquiry into all angles of the situation, Mir. Palmer said. | "The federal government will not shir'< | it's responsibility in thls or any other ! crisis" said the Attorney General.
 More freight moved into the Chicago yards today than on any day since the strike started, railroads announced. At the stockyards 229 cars of live stock vera received and more than 5000 employees | who had been forced out of work by tlls strike returned to duty. About 25.wo stockyard workers were still idle, The General Managers Association to- day denied any negotiations were being carried on with the yardnfen's associa- iton and stated tha. no barley would be entered into in any circumstances.
 In requesting negotiations looking toward the end of the strike. President Grunau of the yardmen's association said contracts the railroads have with tte Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and the Switchmen's Union of North America did not apply 10 membership r his union He denied that the switchmen's strike was illegal
 CHARGES SECRET BALLOT
 "The brotherhood chiefs who accuse us should come with clean hands, he said. "rhe Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen took strike vote in secret two weeks ago. Ballots were cast at l40 points and authorized brotherhood officers to call strike if their de- I mards for increased pay and better working conditions were not granted.
 If our strike, clearly called in the pen. is illegal, what do they call tac- ties like that?'
 J. A. Farquharson, an officer of the | Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, said Grunaus charge was "fabrica- tion out of whole cloth"
 A. F. Whitney, vice president of the Brotherhood of Tranmen, who has been leading the unions campaign in Chicago against the insurgents said today that the crux of the strike had come and that the rebel movement was steadily weakening.
 "The pen realize that they have no leadership and that nothing is to be
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