The Washington times., 1922-09-02
GENERAL
WALkOUT
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what Samuel Gompers bitterly and
contemptuously described as gov
srnment by injunction"
From being merely a strike of
some 100000 railway shopmen, en-.
dangering the transportation sys-
tenn Of the country, the issue has
now been magnified to the point
where 1t threatens to affect all or.
ganized labor and engulf all busi-
ness and industry. labor leaders pri-
vately declared today.
Executive Council TO Meet.
The executive council Of the
American Federation of Labor, rep.
resenting between 100000 and
100000 workers. will meet in the
National Capital one week from to-
day in what promises to be the most
momentous gathering of labor
leaders witnessed in years.
While the council has not the
power to call general strike itself,
It is the governing body of the
taken by the rank and file Of the
federation.
To Decide ON General Strike.
The council will decide whether to
Recommend" general strike to the
hundreds Of unions that make up the
American Federation of Labor.
II the meeting were tomorrow ip-
stead Of next week, It is probable
that a recommendation for an imme.
date general strike would go for.
ward, so hot Is the present temper of
the national officers over the Chi.
cago injunction proceedings.
Whether these tempers will cool
off before next week remains to be
seen, but 1t was apparent today that
the Daugherty injunction had solidi-
fled the sentiment Of all labor leaders
behind the striking shopmen.
In the face of this threatening
aspect on the part Of the federation
came the flat declaration from the
White House today that the Federal
Government Is prepared to go even
further, than the unprecedented in
junction in seeing that transporta-
ton Is maintained.
Use Of Army Next Step.
The Administration next stem. il
the injunction fails to maintain order
and transportation, will be use of the
United States army. This was the
only inference that could be drawn
from the statements Of Administra.
ton officials.
Gompers, William H. Johnston.
president of the striking Interna.
tonal Association of Machinists,
and other labor spokesmen asserted
today that the Daugherty injunction
Is not enforceable.
not hold the prisoners IL the courts
order Is literally interpreted and
even partially enforced, it was said.
Some Government officials were of
the same opinion.
Shopmen Funds Tied Up.
They were confident, however, in
asserting that the strike Of the rail-
way shopmen will go on. regardless
be accomplished they did not say.
The terms Of the courts order
not only ties up the funds Of the
1yhopcrafts, but it also prohibits ex-
pressly the issuance OF any orders
by the heads of the six shopcrafts.
1t is known. however. that when
the strike started on July I, the
shopcraft leaders had made plans
for a "headless strike" II necessary.
They anticipated that they would
perhaps get in trouble with the
courts, and they laid plans accord
ingly, 1t was said today. Local
unions on strike are In possession of
such orders as will permit them to
"carry on" without their national
leader.
There Is a growing sentiment In
the rank and file of union labor for
q general strike, II was asserted
today by Samuel Gompers. Almost
daily since the present industrial
trouble started last April with the
strike of the United Mine Workers,
there has come to A. r. OF l..
headquarters, he said. resolutions
passed by local unions In varied in
dustries calling for q general strike
to check the "deflation. Of labor"
Strike Pressure Increases.
The long strike Of the textile
workers in New England, the min
ers' strike and now the shopcrafts
strike-embracing the three great.
est divisions of labor In the Fedora
tion-have all combined, Gompers
said, to bring constant and increas.
ing pressure" on the national OF.
ficers for a general strike call.
There was nothing else 20 do in
this situation, Gompers said, but to
summon the executive council Of
the federation to meet and discuss
what shall be done. This meeting
will be held one week from today
two days before the Federal court
in Chicago considers the matter of
making the drastic Daugherty In.