The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1921-09-16
Federal Government Steps In to
Put Down Instruction In
West Virginia.
TROOPS TO END MINE WAR
Freight Rates for Export Grain Re-
duced-Germany In Political Fer
ment-Revolt In India Suppressed
Progress Of The Irish Me-
gotiations.
BY EDWARD w. PickARD.

Thousands of armed men led by pro-
fesSional trouble makers, massed in
the hills of West Virginia determined
to invade the coal mining counties to
unioniZe the miners there and defying
the order of President Harding to dis
perse and go home. Thousands of
volunteer troops, deputies and mine
guards gathered to resist the invasion.
Two regiments Of the regular army at
Camp Dix and one at Camp Sherman
ready to start for the scene of dis
turbance to enforce the edicts of the
president. Army airplanes with
bombs and machine guns waiting at
Charleston. Proclamation Of martial
law In several counties Of West Vir-
ginia signed by President Harding and
about to be issued.
Such was the status Of our own
"war' at the time Of writing. The
condition was serious enough to de-
mand the undivided attention of the
President and his cabinet. Brig. Gen.
III. II. Bandholtz. who had been sent
to West Virginia to report on the
situation. had found that there was
no likelihood that the insurgents
would disperse until a snow of force
was made by the government ana
had asked Secretary Weeks to send
federal troops at once. General Band
|. holtZ, it was understood, would be In
y command. In Washington Secretary
Weeks said: 81 don't want to say
what will be done, but IL we are forced
to use troops. it will be a plenty. ;"
The trouble in West Virginia Is OF
Z 20 years standing. In 19o1-O2 the
miners union began their attempts
TO unionize the coal fields there, ana
the Glen Jean strike was called. Ever
since then the warfare has been GO
inp on at times more serious than at
others but never ceasing entirely.
Tn recent wears the conditions have
been growing worse, for the |. W. WIS
and Communists and other agents of
disorder and violence fiOcked 10 the re-
gion. A year ago last May the opera
tors in Mingo county undertook 10
avict n number of union miners VINO
occupied company houses and bloody
fighting resulted. The unions retail
lated BY calling a strike in the border
counties, but the operators obtained
plenty of honunion men. The present
outbreak really began last May, after
federal troops were withdrawn. There
vas what amounted almost to an IN
Surrection Until now the miners
have fought only with the state troop
ers and the deputies. Early last week
Governor Morgan sent TO president
Harding and Secretary of war weeks
nlea for federal troops. saying the
: insurrectinnists were beyond the con
troll of the state forces and were seiZ-
inc passenger trains TO transport their
requirements and cutting all tele-
rranh and telephone wires he he-
c,ared the men assembled to resist
tho invasion Of Logan county would
no utterly unable 10 repel the attack.
JGeneral Bandholtz who had been sent
- investigate the situation. reported
70 Washington that the state had
aode only feeble efforts TO check the
growth of the insurgent movement
~ nevertheless the President on
Tuesday issued his proclamation
warming the insurrectionists that II
thev did not at once disperse and re.
turn 10 their homes the army would
he used - suppress them
,,.bo,,rh John T Lewis. president
- the national miners union. asserts
ti.ot Oh rhe trouble is traceabie 70
tho continual assaults md outrages
,arnetrated upon individual mine
,,.o-ters hy the armed BALDWIN
ra,,s guards employed by the