Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1922-08-14
Hope For Settlement OF Rail
Strike Hangs On Slender
Thread. Proposals Rejected
BY GEORGE r. HOLMES
|. N. S. Staff Correspondent.

T. ~ otdil SOIl CSkJOIuCHks
Washington, Aug. 14-Standing at
the cross roads of action and sur
veying the wreckage of peace eff
forts in all directions, growing
lumber d administration officials
held the c)nvictlol today that event
ually the federal government will
ae reluctantly compelled to take
ever the nations great railroad sys-
TENS if the public IS to escape acute
suffering this winter.
Hope for peaceful settlement of
;he strike. now in. its seventh week,
and broadening in its scope, hung
only by the slenderest thread This
thread was represented by the con-
tinued presence in Washington of
the leaders of the big four" broth
erhoOds, who have undertaken to
mediate the differences between the
roads and the 100000 strikers of the
six federated shopchafts.
The railway executives have left
the capital, after turning down two
offers Of adiustment-one proposed
by President Harding, the other by
the men-X X AMI they left a
deep cloud of pessimism behind
them.
Their determined stand on the
contentious and all important ques-
ton of seniority rights Cor the str.k-
ers apparently was no whit affected
by 36 hours of contact with Presi-
dent Harding. members IL his cabi-
net and with the strike leaders
| themselves.
The executives left Washington
with assertions that they can oper-
ate their trains without the seIv-
ices of the striking sEcpmen and IN
face of the danger of sympathetic
suspension of work on the part OF
engineers, firemen. trainmen and
conductors.
The labor leaders remained in
Washington with assertions that it
is ridiculous" for the railroads to
contend they can carry on with dis
affection existing in all classes OF
labor
And here the situation rested to-
day, the beginning of the seventh
g.
looking to the white house for any
continuation of efforts at pcacable
settlement.
Congress will be back in full
working array tomorrow and a
meeting of the cabinet will be held,
prior to the adoption Of any decis-
i've line of policy. 1t is confidently
expressed in some quarters that the
President will go to Congress with
a message on the railroad situation
before the week is out.
Three avenues of action were APP
parently open to the administration
today.
!. 1t can make renewed offers of
peaceful mediation to both sides.
2. 1t can mark time for the pres
ent to give the railroads an oppor-
tunity to demonstrate their ability
to maintain satisfactory service in
the face of the strike and general
labor disaffection.
8. 1t can go to Congress and ask
for specific grant of authority and
take over control Of the roads and
operate them in the name of the
public.
The first line of action apparently
offered little hope-in light Of the
no-surrender attitude exhibited by
both sides during the strenuous eff
forts made over the week end.
with neither side displaying the
slightest inclination to yield of
what avail is it to continue peace
efforts while conditions become
steadily worse?' pessimistically in
CURED one cabinet officer.
A majority of officials familiar
with all phases of the situation are
of the belief today that President
Harding's course of action will be a
combination of the two alternatives
that he will give the roads an OPP
portunity to demonstrate their ca
pacity for operations.
Leaders of the sixteen standard
unions in Washington were busy
among themselves. The proposals
made by the roads had apparently
further deepened their conviction
that the roads are bent on a "show-
down fight" to break the grip union
labor has held on railroad opera
tons for years.
The brotherhood chiefs-Stone, OF
the engineers. Doak, of the train
men; Shepard, of the conductors,
and Robertson, of the fremen-were
in consultation with B. NJ. Jewell,
director of the shipments strike, and
his associates.
TIL reply of the striking shop
crafts to President Hardings pro-
posal to return to work pending a
seniority decision by the railroad
labor board-a fiat rejection-may be
made public today, along with a
general statement of the attitude
and position of the four brother
hoods.
A general conference of leaders of
all the sixteen standard railroad I'M
ions began here shortly before 10
o'clock this morning