Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-15
HARDING ADOPTS
H4NDS-OFF POLICY
Nv CLINTON W. GILBERT

stan Correspondent Evening Puhlc IRdrer
COPYRIGHT 1922. bv Pubhc Ledger Company
! Washington. Aug. l1.-lt is hoped
| by the Administration that the railroad
strike will be ended by negotiations be-
! tween the brotherhood chiefs and rail-
'loa executives The conference between
the brotherhood chiefs and Daniel Will
: lard last night was followed bv one
| between them and T. De Witt Cuyler
today.
In the meantime. the President will
strike. when President Lewis. Of the
miners. began to deal directly with the
coal operators. He will not go to Con
gresS today with any request for legS-
/ latiOn, and he is unlikely TO make any
public statement. lie Will undertake ne
! further mediation and offer no further
suggestions Of compromise.
The official announcement that the
coal strike Is broken. Is expected hourly
Those. three paragraphs sum ny the
strike situation which has taken ar
optimistic turn. No one thinks that AZ
end will b" reached quickly. but 1t il
believed the railroad strike has entered
n Stage parulleling that of the coal strik,
whcn Lewis began to call the confer
ence ~ Cleveland. The facts are tina
thc railroad brotherhoods. the most in
t,upntial Of the railroad unions. an,
three quarters OF the railroad executive
wish to see the strike ended.
The Administration is impressed Will
this disposition On both sides an,
means 20 keep its hands OFF.
Advised to Keep Hands on
The President has been advised b,
leading senators. ~ long aS the raj.
roads can function. to keep his hand
of and let the railroads fight it out wit
their men II he should decide to d
this. he would make no suggestion o
legislation 20 Congress, but might con
tine himself to IL statement of the strik
situation.
If the strike among the brotherhood
S,rruds and 'hc railroads cease TO func
ton. there will be- nothing for III
President to do but 70 ask authOrit,
10 take over and operate tn" railroads
Those who have had contact with III
brotherhood chiefs are firmly persuade
'ha, they wish TO end the strike. The
are conservative and cautious leaders
Their organizations are in stron
position. They have much to lose an
nothing 10 gain from Il strike Thei
followers are ullINIl VIA
\ they ar" and are proving hard 10 con
= troll.
:" IL the shopmen strike goes on muc
> longer the brotherhood leaders may
/ forced by their own rank and file t
. take part in il.
Big Four May Decide
d With regard to the issues in n
shopmen's strike they are likely TO tai
practical view. They are interestt
In saving the shopmen's union. f.
# they do not wish TO see the hold
II labor in the transportation industl
= weakened. But any settlement whiC
h leaves the shopmen ) union firmly il
i trenchnd with itS national ngreemel
L in force is likely to seem aCceptab
10 the brotherhoods
Il The chiefs of these organization
t speak with more authority than al
Is one else who has sought to end III
strike They have the fate of the stri
in their hands. The shopmen pro-
n ably will be beaten If the brotherhoo
-~ fail to support them. The railroad o;
= ecutive~ probably Will be b"nten II I
ln brotherhoods take part in the strl
- supporting the Shopm"n. Both sid
i, will listen I" them.