The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-22
IAN EMERGENCY
FORCE MAY SAVE
SANTA FE Line
Officials Make Plans to Operate
Trains During Strike.
Men Formerly in Service VIII
Operate Traffic.
ARE PREPARED FOR WALKOUT
List of Pensioners Have Been
Carefully Revised.
Some Delays May Occur II
Strike Is Called.

Calling of the old guard in former
service ranks may save the Santa Fa
in the approaching strike.
Calling of the railroad strike NAV
not mean much in the life of the
Santa Fe. Officials of the big Chicago
to-the-coast system, expect to operato
trains whether the strike is made ef-
fective or not. In fact the road has
not SO much as taken the trouble TO
ask Tor volunteers. it became known
day.
Are Prepared for Strike.
Altho officials of the system are not
speaking for publication, they have
quietly admitted that the road has
peen preparing for the strike for some
tlme. santa Fe officials are not wav-
ing aside the serious side of the strike
threat. They realize fully the hazards
and sacrifices which will face the
their plans
For many days the Santa Fe offices
IN Iopeka and in Chicago have been
carefully revising and assembling long
hsts OF pensioners and former en-
ployes- There are thousands of these
men who have scattered to all PARTS
or the United States. But the big rail
system has the names and addresses
~ al u AlltlH AS soon as these u1Pn
are needed, an emergency call will he
issued to fill the gaps. Then will
come the men who drove the locono-
tlVes or fed the engines in the vester-
days-they will answer the call ana
keep the lines open.
VIII Be Delays.
There viii be delays and some OF
tne de luxe trains may be withdrawn
from service and comforts of travel
Will be lessened. But there won't ne
starvation and need and sufferiny
along the lines of the Santa Fe. II
wiz carry food and necessities to the
big cities and to the way-stations In
pinch prospective passengers max.
IND 1t necessary to wait until a more
opportune time to travel But SO FAR
as shut down is concerned-appar-
entity the Santa Fe has no thought of
There is a bit of new Information
for the public in the statement bv Of
nclals in the general offices. It is the
news which probably even the union
heads hadn't considered-that the big
transportation company has built up
secondary defense for just this sore
of situation.
An Emergency Force.
The Santa Fe has always main
tanned an emergency force to fall back
upon" one official of the road said
today. I'VE have a list of pensioners
and men out of the service who are
perfectly capable of operating trains.
There never has been a time when
this list was not kept up to the min
ute and names revised to insure serv-
ice if every regular employe should
stop work.
I'VE have a large list of pensioners
who are as capable as they were the
da. they quit their regular runs. OF
course we could call upon them in an
emergency. Then there are former
employes-men who have gone into
other lines of employment-many of
them would be glad of a chance to get
back. There are large numbers of
former employees who thru a sense of
loyalty to the road and the countrys
needs would not hesitate a minute in
answering a call and would give the
best service that is in them"
Reserves Ready for Service.
Maybe that is the secret behind the
quiet which has been maintained in
Santa Fe circles regarding the war
cloud. But the announcement today
makes clear that the big system has
not been idle. It has marshalled a
reserve force that is ready to go into
action when the regulars go out-and
the shifting may mean that many of
the regulars who go out will stay out.
And by the same token there will be
many of the new service men who will
stay on the job long after the strike is
settled