The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-28
HARDING M|SLED BY
 STRAW MANI NOTE. .GOMPERS DECLARES
Telegram Signed by Union Off, ficial Whom Gompers Denies Knowing, But Draws Long
 RetaliationFrom President
By Associated Press


 New York. July 27.-That sa
 man of straw" fictitious per-
 sonnRe without official standing
 in labor circles, sent President
 Harding the message which last
 night drew lengthy reply from
 the Waite House refterating the
 governments position on the rail
 and coal strikes, WAS the belief
 expressed here today by Samuel
 Gcmpers, president of the Ameri-
 can Federation of Labor.
 The message to Mir. Harding re- cited, that to attempt 10 operate the mines or railroads by military forces, or to attempt to draft men, would result in the approach oi the long predicted war between cap ital and labor
 It was signed, "J. cleave Dean chairman Railway Employees Pub licity association"
 The President addressed reply to the alleged author of the mes sage, in which he said in part:
 Submit to People.
 If you mean to challenge the righteousness of free men to be pro- tected in their lawful pursuits against interference and violence. will be glad to join in submitting that question to the decision of the American people"
 MT. Gompers expressed surprise that the administration should have shown such concern over the Dean message, as to have replied to it, especially. since the labor leader asserted. the White House appar- ently "was all in the dark" as to the identity of the sender or his capacity in official circles of organized labor.
 The White House called me yes terday, asking If l knew this man. said MT. Gompers. T told them 1 did not and had no record of him as an official of American labor. l consulted all the records in Wash ington and in such eastern cities as I could reach. and even telephoned rail headquarters at Chicago in an effort to learn who was J. Cleaye Dean. No one knew anything about him or had ever heard of him and informed the White House to that effect
 T am positive of one thing, and that is that the author of the letter to President Harding. is not chair man of the Railway Employes Pub licity associatfon.' In view of the undetermined position of the man, I am surprised the President an- swered him.
 The longer I think of 1t the more I am convinced that J. Cleave Dean was just a straw man. set up by interested persons, for a purpose which should be plainly evident"
 Chattanooga, July 27.-The action of Dean was severely condemned by union men and others here today. and 1t was stated that new effort would be made by the labor organiza- tion to curb hIs utterances in the future.
 Dean Is a flagman on the Alabama Great Southern railroad and could not be reached for a statement tonight The Railroad EmpIoyes Publicity as- sociation was organized here several months ago, but none of the shop crafts have affiliated with 1t, ac- cording to information given out by officials tonight. The purpose of the organization is said to be to dissemi- nate information regarding trade unionism among the farmers of the country. As far as can be learned the organization is purely local. al- though its promoters intended to ex- tend 1t to other sections.