Evening star., 1922-09-02
Hundreds of Locals
Demand Support
for Rail Unions.
u. S. PREPARED
TO co FURTHER
Gompers Raps Restraint
Lacks Power to Call
Nationwide WalkOut.
Ry the Associated Press.

Though the American Federation
1f Labor has no power to call strikes,
according to it's president, Samuel
Gompers, it's executive council next
Saturday will be asked to review
appeals and demands from hundreds
of local unions for the institution OF
u general strike to support the right
of railroad unions now on strike.
These appeals have come to me
from all over the country, from those
who imagine that / have power, or
that the federation has power, to
call a general strike" Mr.. Gompers
said. "They have been in the form
pf resolutions passed by trades coun-,
ellis. or by local unions, or editorials
in labor periodicals. The executive
council will be asked to CONSIDER
them. though it connot take action to
Cdll a strike"
Preceded Injunction.
The resolutions and demands, Mr..
Gompers declared, indicated state of
mind in labor circles MORE infiamed
than ever before, and he considered
them important to that extent. 1t was
said that most of them came to fedora
lion headquarters before the federal
court restraining order was issued
yesterday in Chicago.
While awaiting evidence OF the ef-
feet on the nations crippled transpor-
tation facilities of the federal court
injunction issued in Chicago yester-
day against striking railway shopmen,
the federal government, administration
spokesmen declared. was prepared to-
day to take any further steps and
exercise any of its powers necessary
10 bring about restoration of normal
4Onditions. Just what directions such
Further action of the government. If
found necessary, might take had not
been revealed but it was declared the
restraining order did not represent
the limit to which the government
was prepared to go.
Meantime, labor leaders here, view
ing the injunction as an outrageous
invasion of the strikers rights, had
declared their intention of ignoring
the order so far as it might be con-
strued as interfering with what they
conceived to be legitimate efforts OF
The striking organizations and their
friends to win the strike. w. H.
Johnston, representing, as president
of the International Association OF
Machinists, one of the largest groups
of the rail strikers, declared the in
junction would not cause the slight
est abatement of efforts to win the
it was the federation's view that in
functions which Invaded constitu-
tional rights should be treated as
scraps of paper"
The governments injunction suit
was still the dominant subject of in
formal discussion among officials and
members of the Senate and House to-
day, to a great majority of whom the
action came. as complete surprise.
Its discussion at recent cabinet
4 n 0
decided divergence of opinion as to
its advisability, with the President, 1t
IS understood in some quarters, at
first taking position with those op-
posed to it, for a time at least, but
later changing his opinion with sub
sequent developments in the situa-
tion, including the' apparent break
down of strike settlement efforts and
Increased instances of violence.
"Scraps of Paper"
Regardless of the injunction is
suing at Chicago yesterday, the
American Federation of Labor will
continue to raise funds and supplies
in aid of railroad strikers, Mr.. Gompers
declared last night, and will seek every
way to help them to bring about IAN
honorab BILE adjustment of their contro-
versy.
Mr.. Gompers declared the injunction
was Outrageous and IAN invasion
Gf the constitutional rights of work
ingmen'' and should be so regarded.
The federation's view. he added, was.
as expressed on previous occasions,
that injunctions invading constitu-
tional rights should be treated "as
scraps of paper"
Possible "Hornets' Nest.'
Condemning the injunction, Mr..
Gompers declared it represented
.usurpation of power by courts" and
F1l1 n
tinue supporting the strike with
money and aid.
The Injunction. he said, might be
stirring up a hornets nest" instead
of pacifying the existing unsettle-
ment, because there are other rail-
road workers, the trainmen, the teleg-
raphers, the maintenance of way men,
who may now become interested
"I don't know what they will do.
however" he remarked. I'm just
mentioning them.
why don't they stop the radio, and
forbid them using the ether?" he re-
piled. THE American Federation of
Labor has advised men in previous in
junction cases to treat as scraps OF
paper those court orders which invade
their constitutional rights"
He was asked here If he considered
this injunction to invade constitu-
tional rights.
Il don't Consider it does-I know it
does" he exclaimed, emphatically.
"ant 7 am not advising these men
what to do. I assume they know.
They will use their own judgment"
President Harding, he suggested, in
labor matters, was getting back to
normalcy, several centuries back"
Congress Refused Appeals.
THE President has twice sought
from Congress legislation forbidding
strikes" he said, land Congress has
refused to grant it. How Is it pre-
pared to go further by court order
than can be done by legislation? If
there is anything unlawful in the ac-
tion of men on strike. they can be
indicted, prosecuted and punished. if
convicted But they are not charged
with crime. They stopped work; that
is ALL They are not interfering with
railroad operations, they have simply
ceased to serve. The only thing che
injunction doesn't do is to order them
to return to work.
Injunction "Outrage0us Thing"
This Injunction Is most outrageous
thing-a process Of the manufacture Of
,adicalism and bolshevism in this coun-
try." Mr.. Gompers continued. 1T is
quite strange. in our republic, founded
on the principles of liberty. that the
political party which was led by Lin
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