The New York herald., 1921-12-18
ALL KANSAS COAL
Mines IN OPERATION
Day Shows Increase of 80
Men Over Force Work
ing Friday.
RIOT DANGER PASSES
Belief Expressed That the
Howat Forces Are Large
ly Depleted.
TROOPS STILL ON GUARD
Pay Day Discloses to Strikers
How Large a Number Have
Returned.

speciaf Dispatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
PrTTsBURo, Kan, Dec. 17.-Reporta
from the coal fields show that all
mines are in operation with total
Increase of eighty-five men over the
working force of yesterday. This ad-
dition was made In face Of a blizzard
which struck this district at early this
morning. More men are working to-
day than at any time since the ma
tional organization deposed Alexander
Howat and took charge of the field
two or three months ago.
The snowstorm served as additional
strength to tho State troops in the
maintenance of the peace in the coal
district Not even the most radical
OF radicals would attempt to do any
marching In such a storm as matter
of patriotism to a cause, even the
cause Of their idol Alexander Howat.
Riotfnx Danger Passes.
County and military officials do not
expect further trouble. Neither do the
miners. Van A Bittner, head of the
national organization, the man who put
the miners back 10 work over the pro-
test OF Howat and his followers, an
nounced this morning that in his opinion
lie danger Of further rioting has passed
1T was the most cowardly exhibition
ever wisncssed.~ Mr.. Bittner said. THE
'rcn sent their women and children into
t"e nobs but the men maintained a
- hot
at tho first sign of trouble. A man
who would place his wife and children
on the f-ing line and himself hide In
safe place is not the kind of a man
to make a. good citizen, a good union
man or working man. But the
psychology of mobs shows that they
cannot repeat The men who hide be-
hind their wives skirts could not organ
ze another such movement If they want
to do it,
Still, there are others who believe
the Howat followers will make an ef-
fort before they give up the fight en-
,i-elv 10 bluff the troops They may
try II again with the women leading the
forces, IT Is suggested by some OF the old
timers here, on the theory that not even
the troops will fire upon women and
children.
The women who took part In the
mobs." said one man, were virtually
all foreigners and the greater part cf
them were aliens, but they carried the
american flag because their leaders had
told them that no one would dare to fire
upon the flag. The mob leaders actual
ly believed, It is said, that II an officer
should fire upon them while they car
ried the Stars and Stripes that officer
would be punished by the Federal Gov
ernment for alta cking the flag"
Eject of Pay Day.
The consensus is that the strikers
have received orders from the Howat
leaders to remain quietly in their homes
while this troops are here in the hope
that the soldiers will be withdrawn at
once. Then, they believe they could
make more trouble.
The real reason for the riots last Mon
day and Tuesday. it ~ said. was the ef-
fcct of pay day for the miners at work.
Last Saturday was pay day Howat's
leaders have been telling their followers
that only few men had returned to
work. The word has been passed down
the line, and openly stated by Howat
spokesmen here and elsewhere In the
state, that there were not 500 men in
the district who had deserted Howat.
But last Saturday. when the men at
work received their pay checks and be-
gan to spend their money In the stores,
the followers realized that they had been
deceived and duped. They saw with
their own eyes that thousands Of men
were drawing pay for full time. and