The Washington herald., 1922-08-09
APPEALS TO HOUSE
President Awaits Official
Rejection of His Peace
Proposals.
CABINET TAKES UP
INDUSTRIAL CRISIS
Labor Conference Friday
May Call for General
Rail Strike.


a call upon Congress for authority
to take over ssne OF the raiI lines
primarily hose serving prodsc!rg
coal fields and hard hit by ihe
shopmen's strike.
Baked at every turn In his efforts
to compose the threatening indax-
trial situation. Mr.. Harding Is turn
ing to Congress to help him in the
crisis.
The President yesterday let q be
known that he de Sires the House
to remain in regular sess.on when
il returns from recess next Tuesday
instead OF carrying out f.s pan OF
further recess to await Sono.e ac-
tion on the tariff bill NoCiea TO
that effect already has gone fr"m
the White House % Republican
Leader Mondell vita the added sug-
gestion that the President desires
a full attendance.
See Plan to Spread Strike.
Public efforts at mediation have
failed or are about to fail. Chiefs
of all the railroad workers organi-
zations are speeding to Washington
to discuss means OF making the
rail strike more effective than ever.
Administration officials are not
trying to fool themselves over the
late 81 move Of the railroad shop
mems leaders in summoning the
heads Of the Big Four" brother
hoods. the train operating unions.
to conference here Friday. They
realize the next move will be 10
spread the strike to the train crews
and to tie up transportation sys-
TENS of the country.
There is no Disgusting the seri-
ousness OF the coal situation md
perhaps the seriousness Of the rail-
road situation, was the declaration
of a spokesman at the White House
following yesterdays Cabinet DIS
cussion of the industrial problems
that have failed OF solution.
May Use Big tick.s
What the Presidents next move
NAV be is not known. but in soma
official quarters Il is predicted that
his patience and conservatism m
the crisis are about exhausted. aad
that he is preparing to use tho
big stick" to protect the welfare cf
the country.
II is declared in some quarters
that Mr.. Hardings determination
that Congress be at hand next week
indicates clearly that he has in mind
an appeal for legislative assistance
and that this means he proposes to
ask for authority to take over the
railroads and coal mines for gov
ernment operation in the strike
IL e.,r f.1
that Mr.. Harding will ask Congress
to amend the transportation act 20
give the Railway Labor Board au-
thority over issues arising during a
strike. such as the present question
of seniority.
shopmen Discus. Terms
Discussing the probability OF the
government taking over the rafl-
roads. officials of the shopmen's or
ganization said yesterday that they
would not return to work, IL tho
government took over only a small
number. II IL should take over all
of them they would return on terms
stated by the President July 81.
The prospect of a general trans
portation tie-up assumed a stIll
more menacing aspect last night as
a result of the response of the va
rious railroad labor organizations
not now on strike to the appeal Of
the shopmen for support in making
the strike more effective.
Their replies to the call sent out
by the shopmen leaders Monday in
dicated willingness to cooperate in
whatever measures may be deemed
= l. h. erIL
cess.
Eleven Unions Answer.
Eleven of the sixteen railroad
labor unions have answered the tel
egram and announced their inten-
tion Of participating in the con-
ference here Friday to formulate a
program having for its purpose pro-
lection Of the public. preservation
OF the railroad Industry ana an
honorable basis of settlement for
the managers and the employees"
Private assurances have also been
received that the other i've unions
which include the Big -Four"
brotherhoods. will make favorable
replies. The strike leaders are con-
fident they will have Ico ner cent
representation and cooperation
from the other organizations.
Bert NJ. Jewell. chief Of the shop
crafts unions. and William II.
Johnston. president OF the Inter-
national Association Of Machinists.
declared that the kilograms re-
ceived were unanimous in their
opposition to acceptance OF the
Presidents latest offer. Several
hundred messages had been re-
ceived urging prompt rejection of
the Presidents proposal and none
favored its acceptance. it was
stated.
EnGineers Ready 60 Cooperate.
The engineers. Il is understood.
are ready TO take the lead with
measures OF cooperation with the
shopmen. A circular Of instructions
as to the policy to be pursued with
regard to the operation of -locomo-
tives on the bad order list has
gone out from headquarters. ft was
stated on high authority. without
waiting for the decision Of the
conference to be held here Friday
the engineer chiefs have warned
their members In the circular 20
costt~sed on Page Thrss.