The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-27
MAY JAIL UNION
CHIEFS IF RAIL
STRIKE COMES
Daugherty Has Au-
thoritiy to Get In
junction.

Washington. Oct. 27.-CBy Unit
ed Press. )-Railroad brotherhood
chiefs may be jailed if they refuse
to rescind their strike call and a
tieup of the mails and interstate
commerce results, it was indicated
today at the department of justice.
With the zero hour" for the
threatened rail strike approaching,
Attorney General Daugherty has
decided that if the waIkout devel-
ops. he has ample authority to OBJ
tain court injunctions restraining
any interference with the mails or
interstate commerce.
Cites Precedent
ANY failure of the union chiefs
TO obey the injunction would in all
probability be classed as contempt
of court and the leaders could be
imprisoned, it was stated at the de-
partment
,Daugherty has found a precedent
for such action was established
during the famous Pullman strike
OF 1894! The United States su-
prerne court then upheld such
steps taken by the federal govern
ment
To Act With WalkOut.
Attorney General Daugherty to-
day said that no action could be
taken by his department under
present plans until after the strike
develops
The departments plan of action.
he said, is contained in telegraphic
instructions sent to District Attor-
ney Hartman at San Antonio. Tex
as, where the strike of the Inter
national & Great Northern is cen
tered
Daugherty has wired Hartman
authorizing him to make public
these instructions.
Eugene V. Debs, now in the fed
eral prison at Atlanta for viola
ton of the espionage law, was jail
ed in 1894 because he and other
leaders of the American Railway
union refused to obey court In
junction against that strike. These
leaders were kept in prison for siz
months, when the United States
supreme court upheld the lowel
courts injunction
Government Ready.
The federal government now /:
ready to meet an emergency In th'
strike, Daugherty said.
Plans for meeting the strike have
been completed, ready to be pu
into execution if the strike IS no
averted and any large number o.
railroad workers leave their posts
he said today.
The federal government. he stat
ed, proposes to take all necessary
steps to move the mails and to keel
all sections of the country supplied
with food and fuel.
From official sources, it was
learned that the government
course of action if union leaders
do not call off the strike probably
will be as follows:
1. A public appeal by President
Harding Friday or Saturday, II
which he is expected to ask con
tinued operation Of the transporta-
ton systems on the grounds thai
the public welfare cannot be
jeopardized.
2. Court injunCtions restraining
| interference with the mails and in
terstate commerce, with jail sen
tences threatened for violations.
8. Coordination of the motor
trucks of the country into big
transportation unit under the direc,
ton of Secretary of Commerce
Hoover to supplement the trains
WHICH it is expected will be KEEP
, running, even if the union leaders
refuse to rescind the strike call.
! f. Troops will be used only a
a last resort
At first armed forces will be EN-
! ployed only to maintain order, bu
should the tieup become extremel
serious army reserves who hav
had experience in railroad wor
might be called into service.