The Washington herald., 1922-07-16
DRAFT IS UNLIKELY
President Waits Until
Soft Coal Operators
Deliver Reply.
MINERS TO WEIGH
REVISED TERMS
Declined Offer Before
Harding Made 1t Clear,
Says Lewis.

The Federal governments hopes
for speedy termination Of the
two-fold nationwide menace Of coal
and railroad strikes received n se-
we're setback yesterday when the
miners declined to accept in its
present form President Harding's
proposal for arbitration Of the mine
tie-up.
official announcement OF the
miners action, taken by the policy
committee Of the United Mine
Workers after a long session here
yesterday. was made at the end OF
day Of feverish activity on the
part Of President Harding. his Cab
met. and Congress 10 find a way
out Of the greatest Industrial dead
lock in years.
The vote Of the miners policy
committee for rejection OF the
Harding arbitration proposal was
unanimous. Only the section Of the
plan, providing for an exhaustfvs
investigation into mine production,
transportation and other costs. was
approved
IL Clarifying Proposal.
The one ray OF hope in the situa-
ton is that the President is taking
steps TO clarity his proposal hoping
that il may eventually be found ac-
ceptaole 10 both operators and
miners.
There is an air Of tenseness and
concern in official circles here ana
%
TO be toward a crisis in which the
President would be forced TO take
his threatened drastic action Of
seizing and operating the mines and
the railroads.
Federal troops still are befnr.
held in readiness for Instant dis
patch TO mine or rail centers when
violence which cannot be controlled
by local or state authorities breaks
out. No orders have yet been is
sued.
The President in a statement last
night on the miners refusal 10 ar
hitrate indicated that his next
move would be announced early
next week. after the reply Of the
o'tuminous operators 10 his pro-
posal is received His plan has
been accepted in principle BY the
anthracite operators.
Not PlsnnfnE Conscription.
Other Developments here yester-
day. were:
i. The opinion was expressed OIL
claily by War Department legal
ofhcers and in Congress thar Presi-
dent Harding could not d,aft work
ers into service TO run the mines or
the railroads without additional au-
thority from Congress II was
stated the President did NOT con-
template any action Of this charac-
ter except in extreme emerretrv
and that erroneous impressions on
this point were gained from white
House statements Of yesterday In
stead Of an actual military draft.
IL was said that even in very
grave emergency the President
would first issue a moral draft caII
TO the people OF the country TO on
crate the mines and the railroads.
:. The President. after a confer
ence with f. F. Cradle. head Of the
nnaihtenance-of-wa union, who
charged that railroads are irnor-
ing decisions Of the Railroad Labor
eoaro' reiterated that both the car
riers ana the employees must obey
decisions OF the tribunal. Mr.. Hard
ing asserted that Congress ana not
a strike must change r>the method
OF handling transportation disputes
by such a board.
Coal Output at Low Level
J. The United States Ceoloetcsl
survey Tor the first time admitted
that the shopmen's strike. due to
In
made dent in coal prodrction ana
car loadings. Production is nov, a,
the low level reached during the
hrst week Of the strike. which wa.
tollowed by an increase. The re-
serve Of coal probably viii be viz
tually exhausted by August is. or
september i, Il was said.
4. Senators from the coal prodpc-
ing States met with Secretary
Hoover to discuss what Congress
could Co to aid in arbitration a.
the strike. but the conference was
aoruptly ended when the White
Rouse telephoned the Secretary that
the miners had rejected the pro-
posal.
3. Mr. Harding in clarifying his
arbitration plan, after the miners
had reJected IL, made three impor-
tant concessions TO the miners.
These were:
A That the check-o1 system Of
paying union dues shall be contin-
ued.
Unaware Of Concessions.
B. That the findings OF the com
mission for measures TO bring per-
manent peace to the coal Industry
Aa1 -