Evening star., 1922-07-12
STRIKE F|RMNESS
URGED BY PUBLIC
Government Swamped With
Requests That Trains Be
Guarded.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Requests from all parts of the coun-
ing for the appointment Of hundreds
Of deputy marshals to assist In the
enforcement Of the federal laws
which make it an offense for any one
to interfere with the mails or inter
state commerce.
President Harding's proclamation,
however. doesn't make 1t a matter for
the Department of Justice merely. but
for the War Department and all other
agencies which can command re-
spect for the law.
The use of federal troops is in
evitable. President Harding and his
advisers are loath to use them. as
they would rather have the civil
branch of the government carry out
the law processes of the government.
but the inadequacy Of civilian ofhcers
such as marshals and deputies Is al
ready apparent.
Laws Are MisunderstooA.
The government is apprehensive that
the situation will grow worse chiefly be-
cause strikers In the past have not un-
ing. Most Of the leaders seem to be
under the impression that moving the
mails Is essential, but IL other trains
are stopped or delayed there IL no
penalty. The opposite is true For the
laws Of the United States are just az
explicit with reference to the movement
Of passenger and freight trains as mail
carriers.
No warrants have gone forth AZ yet
to arrest leaders or strikers. but In the
1894 strike such q step became neces-
| sary. as there was Wholesale disregard
haps the best exposition Of the law
which the strikers are confronted with
was given by Judge Ross in his famous
charge to the grand jury in Los An
geles. just twenty-eight years ago this
month. In con connection with tho Deos
"a railroad which is . link In
! through line Of road for the trans
| portation Of freight and passengers
into another state from other states
and from that state to other states
| is engaged in the business OF inter-
ton or conspiracy in restraint OF
such trade or commerce Is by statute
declared to be illegal. and all per-
sons SO combining and conspiring are
by law guilty of the commission OF
a crime. Congress has passed laws
provided punishment In 4 certain pre-
scribed way"
Reference to Penalty.
The same Judge added a reference
to the conspiracy statutes which
| make any one convicted of = con-
| spiracy to break the laws of the
| United States liable to q fine OF
| $4,000 or to Imprisonment for not
more than two years.
to apply the same broad principles Of
law in securing the uninterrupted
/ passage Of trains from state to state
The marshals and deputy marshals II
! the past have called for troops to hell
them out. kilograms from all part!
of the United States indicate tina
| grave apprehension exists In many
railroad centers as to whether thu
marshals can cope with the situation
Federal troops are being held in readi
ness for service.
| Experience in tho 1894 strike ha'
i shown that the delay In sending
federal troops resulted in many dis
orders and that the local authorities
were promptly obeyed just as soon a!
the troops arrived,
! The federal government IL not anx.
ious to use its Army to run the rail
! roads or to protect strikebreakers
but the paramount need Of transpor.
exactly that position. And the proc.
lamation by the President is paving
the way for broad federal action. 1,
may become necessary to proclaim
martial law in SPECIFIC sections OF the
| country, though this, rs q rule, has
waited the appeal from governors OF
the states. In order, however. to en-
force the federal laws, troops may be
| sent anywhere in the country with
J out reference to the presence of state
militia or the attitude Of state ON.
cials.
Within the next twenty-four hours
the crisis in the strike situation may
ha eVnaCfAd hnf nrAaenf indtcQfions
are that the use Of federal troop,
alone will allay the fears of the
workers, who are ready to run trains
but who think the strikers will dc
them violence.
| Copyright, 1927