Evening star., 1922-07-12
Rate by Mail-Payable in Advance
Maryland and Virginia.
All Other States.
A Call for Order.

President HardlngS prOcldmat10n
regarding the railroad situation states
the case in the cleareSt terms: The
United States Railroad Labor Board
has rendered certain decisions. The
shop crafts employees have refused to
abide by the decision which affects
them, and certain operators have ig-
nored the decision requiring the aban-
donment Of the contract shop practice.
The operation of the railways in inter-
state commerce and transport Of mails
requires the employment Of men who
are willing to work under the terms OF
the decision, and they have 1.-The same
indisputable right to work as others
have to decline to work" Therefore,
the President calls upon all persons to
refrain from interfering with lawful
efforts to maintain transportation and
the carrying of the mails, and invites
the cooperation of all public authori-
uphold the laws and to preserve the
public peace and to facilitate those
operations in safety which are essen
tial to life and liberty and the security
of property and our common public
welfare
This means that the whole power of
the United States government is to be
invoked to keep the trains moving not
only in the carriage of mails but in
the maintenance of interstate COM
efa To o,1fk ,nyf-
ties fail to preserve order and to keep
the lines open the federal forces will
be employed.
At this point arises a complication,
already in evidence. When the shop
men walked out some of them under
took by violence to prevent others
from taking their places. Guards were
stationed around the shops and round
houses to hold off these disorderly
ones. Troops were summoned in a few
instances. Now rainmen on one Of
the lines in the middle west have de-
ctared their unwillingness to run
trains into guarded zones, and it is
suggested that this attitude may be
adopted by the engineers, f1remen,
trainmen and conductors, members Of
the four big brotherhoods, throughout
the country. If troops are used under
the Presidents proclamation, and the
train operatives refuse to work within
zones so guarded, the effect will be
virtually a sympathetic strike.
Refusal of trainmen to work in
zones protected by troops can be justi-
fed in no way. The troops are there
for their protection as well as for that
Of the public and the safeguarding Of
public interests. They are there to
permit the trains to be run. 1t is the
duty of the brotherhood employees to
continue the operation Of the trains.
They are not part Of the strike con-
troversy. They have only one con-
ceivable ground Of grievance, and that
has already been stated in complaint
to the Interstate Commerce CoRlmis-
sion that they are compelled to run
locomotives and cars in bad condition
owing to Inadequate or incompetent
shop work. Conferences are in prog
ress today in Chicago bearing upon
these matters. Upon the outcome of
them may turn the whole situation,
for an early settlement Of the existing.
strike or toward its spread to involve
all the operating forces.
If the strike should spread under
one pretext, or another a grave crisis
will be at hand But it is not to be
feared that government will fail.
Worse crises have been met and over
come. A small percentage of the peo-
pie Of this country cannot paralyze it.