New-York tribune., 1922-08-07

Presidents Advisers Dis
Germ Attempt TO Fcrce
Hand in Labor Chiefs
Demand for Settlement
jewell TO Confer at
White House To-day
Slaopnlen Can Gain Tacti-
cal Victory by Agreeing
TO Obey Board DEGREES

Bv Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.-An
attempt to stampede President
Harding into action favorable to
the rail strikers is being made BY
various labor organizations, &C.
cording to men close in the Presi-
dents confidence. They point to
the threat just made by officials of
the Railway Clerks Union, to the
visit to the White House yesterday
of representatives of three of the
Big Four" brotherhoods and to
other labor moves.
Bert M. Jewell, director of the
shopmen's strike. is, according to
the Presidents advisers, doing his
best to capitalize the present drive
on the Chief Executive. He will
see the President again tomorrow,
and it was intimsted rather broadly
to-day that there might be an i'm
portant announcement after the 4
conference.
The railroad executives do not
credit the report that any an
nouncement after the Presidents
conference with Jewell can be in-
portant, save only that Mr.. Jewell
may decide to promise to accep.
the authority of the Railroad
Labor Board on all points, even IN
Guiding seniority position
which so far he has not been wifi
ing to take.
Way Seen for Men to Win
A promise by the shopmen Of cont,
plete acceptance Of the authority OF
the Railroad Labor Board ard willing
ness to abide by its rulings will =.
once array President Harding firmly on
the side Of the strikers This ia exactly
what the President has been fighting
for from the first
Settlement on these terms, however.
while it would have been conplets,v
acceptable to the railroad executives if
arrived at before the men went out. e~
perhaps even prior to the exec,,.;.s..
meeting in New York last Tuesday
could be accepted now by the ra;lro.ds
only with certain stipuiations in sd
Vsnce--stlpulations which it is fesred
would make the settlement terms u.-
terry unacceptable to the men.
The real truth is that observers e.
washington. after last weeks fasco.
are very skeptical about any peaca.
moves. There is no doubt that If +
were not for the coal situation The
Administration would be practicable
1o5ced to keep its hands of snd p.r-
NIT the strike to be fought out
1t is the industrial disaster which
is assured next winter unless soyo.
radical move is made in the coal proh-
lem within the next few weeks which
keeps the railroad strike right in from.
OF the President as the first thin.- to
De settled. Having already gone +,
long way in his attempts TO end both
strikes, the President would much pre-
fer to pursue watchful waiting pol
ley if it were not for the ever-ir,creas-
ing certainty that American industr;
Wiil be slowed down if not paralyzea
TINS winter unless some move is made
speedily.
The ability Of The railroads 20 con-
tinue operation. and even to perform.
IN very short time. normal sery-
ice in spite of the strike is admitted.
But even normal service now will not
avail to prevent industries closing
down this winter for lack of coal. AS
a matter Of fact. it is extremely DOUBT
tul II 100 per cent service by the rail-
roads to every mine which can operate,
and to every portion of the country
which needs coal, would be enough now
c,S
ter, not that real suffering from lack
OF heat IN homes is expected, but un-
employment from shutdown factories
may be inevitable.
Strikes Are vitality Linked
There has been O conviction right
along, however, that if the railroad
strike could be settled solution OF
the coal strike could be speedily found.
Meanwhile labor leaders in other
unions have become very much alarmed
over the prospect of either strike being
"broken." They fear the effect on the
morale of union labor all ever the
country. That is declared to be the
real explanation of the present concen-
tratad drive on the President to force
the railroad executives TO yield to the
shopmen.
II is evident that the "Big Four,
brotherhoods have had very little sym-
pathy with the present strike of the
shopmen. but three of them have been
forced to make dem nonstration at the
White House. The conductors, folicu-
ing the usual course of the. "Bfg
Four took no part in aiding the strike
Of another organization. and even the
three. while aiding the drive on Press-
dent Harding, made Il clear to the
newspaper men that their move had no
threat of 6 sympathetic strike. Mr.,
Wills, on the contrary. called attention
to the fact that q strike is not neces-
sarv so force the railroads TO provide
the engineers, fremen and trainmen
with safe locomotives. es the lew asi
their own agreements make the In
dividual engineman the Judge Of the
safety Of the locomotive he is ordered
to take out.
Pressure Behind Organizations
The fact that representatives Of
three Of the Big Four went to the
White House at all, however, shows tAe
ks.y yfS4t< - 4 L