The Washington times., 1920-04-11
WILSON ALONE CAN
HALT RAIL STRIKE
Several Courses Open to Presi-
dent to Force Men to Go
Back 70 Work.

The nation wide railroad strike now
has brought the country to the verge
of an economic crisis from which only
action by President Wilson can rescue
1t, in the opinion of many Govern
ment officials here today.
Although no sign has yet been forth
coming from the White House that
the President has decided to act. 1t is
believed use of his influence will be
made necessary by tomorrow or, at
the latest, by Tuesday.
Presidential influence would be un-
usually effective in putting the
strikers in a position so that they
would be forced to return TO WORK
and submit their demands to arbitra-
ton. it is argued.
Courses Open To President.
There are several courses by which
the Presidential influence might be
employed to accomplish this. One
would be for the President to make
public statement Of the causes OF the
strike and call upon the strikers to
return to work pending adjustment OF
grievances.
This could be done. it is urged,
without constituting recognition OF
the newly formed strikers organiza-
tions, which have been branded as
outlaw or insurgent organizations by
the leaders of the established ran
unions. The President took this kind
of action last summer. 1t Is recalled,
in connection with the unauthorized
strike of railroad shopmen.
Many officials here are being
forced to the conclusion, they said to-
day, that use of the injunction OF
criminal a1<on under the Lever bill
by the Justice Department would
prove useless in getting the trains
running again.
Two L. $. Agencies At Work.
On the other hand two Government
agencies now are prepared to step in
and mediate the strike. These are
the conciliation division Of the La
Dor Department and the United States
Board Of Mediation and Cancellation.
A third organization will be at
hand in the Transportation Labor
Board which the President is ex.
pected to nominate this week.
The strikers, it is pointed out,
would have little excuse for continu-
ing to hold up transportation II the
President were to appoint this board
and then write a statement calling
on them to submit their demands to
one of these Government agencies.
The board OF mediation and concil-
iation today is in close touch with
the situation. Chairman Knapp and
Commissioner Chambers late today
received a full report on the strike
situation from Assistant Commis-
sioner G.. w. w. Hanger. who was
sent to Chicago expressly to investi-
gate the beginning of the wallout.
Nnt An naht.uIs
The mass of data collected by
Hanger, the Justice Department, and
Director Hugh Kerwin, OF the Labor
Department. who has been in Chicago
a week, will be available to the Presi-
dent whenever he may want to use It.
Many Government officials are COM
ing to belief that the question of
whether or not the outlaw strike or
ganizations should be recognized IL
of no Importance. The Government
they say, IL under no particular obli-
cation to discriminate in favor of the
established unions and help them put
down an insurrection within their
own ranks.
The strikers. whether insurgent or
not, these officials say. are demon
strating clearly that they are a force
to be reckoned with. They have al
most completely tied UP trsnsporta-
tion Of food and fuel in many districts
and the spontaneity of their move
ment is taken as an indication that
not all OF them are radicals and hot
heads, as they are described by the
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