The Washington herald., 1922-09-13
More Than Half of Policy
Committee Wants to
Continue Strike.
SESSION ADJOURNS
WITHOUT ACTION
Government Resumes Its
Evidence to Support
Conspiracy Charge.

CHICAGO. Sept. I2-RaH peac.
stood at the crossroads today. vita
the leaders OF the shop unions dead
locked on the path to follow.
One faction, led by Bert NJ. Jewell.
president of the shopcrafts, was
voicing approval Of separate agree
ments with railroads willing to
compromise the issues Of the strike.
Another including. Il is reported.
more than half Of the ninety gen
eral chairmen who form the policy
committee. stood out firmly for no
settlement and a continuation II
the fight.
Dehnite Action Delayed.
Early in the day Jewell ana other
leaders prophesied an early settle
ment, but as the sessions wore On
general opposition to sennrate
agreements crystallized into form q
able opposition to the leaders ana
at adjournment il was stated no
definite action" had been taken.
While the strike leaders were
trying to work their way out o-
their immediate problem. the -ov-
ernment was trying to prove that
they are guilty Of a general con-
spiracy against the railroads in an
equally hot session before Judge
James II. wilkerson
The court put the onus Of prooF
that the strike leaders have be.n
responsible for murders. wrecks.
disastrous transportation holdup.
and crop losses. directly up to At
torney General DauEherty.
Asks for Modification.
Attorney Donald r. Richberg. for
the strikers. asked the court to mod
ify the Injunction prohibiting all
activities by strikers and their
leaders. Judge wilkerson asked
RichberC to withdraw his motion
with leave to renew IL at once.
Tt is up to the government 70
prove the facts in this case" he
said. The question raised by the
governments allegations tconsplr-
acyD is vile one and must he
proven by modification before the
injunction can be undertaken"
Lacks Direct Evidence.
John W. Grim assistant attorney
general. informed the court that L
viii have no direct evidence. hut
will rely entirely on the %. .000 afi-
davits OF violence and other ILLEGAL
acts charged against the striking
shop workers. to prove its allega-
tion that the strike is an illegal
conspiracy to interfere with inter
state commerce. The federal attor-
neys say that, as far as they know.
the aftidavits in possession Of the
government do not name any of
the defendants mentioned in the
injunction. but some chairmen OF
local union committees are named
The government continued
throughout the day to lay the Ia $
for the conspiracy charge. Rla l.-
burn Esterline assistant Atfurr,,
General introduced thousands nt
kilograms. affidavits and dispositions
alleging by direct statement or i'm
plication that the strikers have hea-,
responsible for all manner Of dis
orders.
Peace Farther Removed.
With adjournment OF the policy
committee tonight, it was stated hv
general chairnnen that peace Is far
ther away than il was yesterday.
Leaders opposing settlement are
said to view separate settlements as
a complete backdown by the shoe
unions and a step that will crush
the organizations
Jewell and his adherents are Ia
voring a separate agreement with
the Baltimore and Ohio. Norfolk anG
Western. Southern. Chicago. Nh
waukee and ST. Paul and a number
of other roads on the basis, IL Is re-
ported. OF fun seniority. workina
conditions as OF June 90 and wages
on the present basis pending future
conferences. This. the Jewell fac
ton is said to hold. would give the
unions a wedge into the executive
ranks.
In Touch with Big -Four.
That the feeling is tense and the
fight a hard one was evident as
members Of the committee. their
hair rumpled and their collars
wilted, came from the executive ses-
sions.
TT is make or break and Il isn't
going TO be break" said one mem
ber. opposed to separate agreements.
The shop leaders were said to be
in constant touch by telegraph and
telephone with the executive council
of the American Federation 81
Labor at Atlantic City and the Big
Four" brotherhoods at Cleveland.
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