The Washington times., 1922-08-14

| I'M both sides Of the
| 23$ <%} controversy. II
| ~ Is alleged that
| 9gss1NenNeWW the conduct OF
| = = these persons
WILLIAM HARD since July has
In many cases amounted to rail.
road conspiracy on the one hand and
tc a union conspiracy on the other.
II Is claimed that railroad executives
concertedly and union leaders con-
certedly have resisted the resump-
ton of full railroad service, and have
therefore conspired to violate the
antitrust law Of 1880.
1t Is pointed out that certain rail-
road officials have been just as con.
temptuous OF public authority as any
union leader has been. The Ecie
Railroad, for instance, has posted q
notice in its shops to che effect thst
no "politicians" are going to be al
lowed to settle this strike. The Erie,
according TO this notice. In going TO
manage It's own affairs and no Gov
ernmental interference will bend II
to any other course.
It is argued that people who write
such notices and people on the other
side who are similarly in contempt Of
the Federal Government should re.
ceive severe attention from the De-
| partment Of Justice. 1t In claimed
that IL the leaders OF resistance to
Government authority were Jailed
the followers would quit and full
railroad services would be at once
resumed.
The other method OF procedure
which is being suggested to the
! once right on into Federal control
of railroads. 1t Is argued that in
, dictments Of course might intimi-
date, the railroads into resuming
service but that, on the other hand,
II might not. II II did not, a great
deal Of time would have been
wasted. 1t is therefore alleged that
the best thing to DO is to proceed
to Federal control Immediately. But
In considering the matter Of Federal
control there are two different ideas
which are struggling for mastery in
Administration circles and on Capl.
tol Hill.
Part OF Washington wishes to take
over only a few railroads. Another
part Of Washington, II Federal con.
troll becomes necessary, wishes to
take over all the railroads. The
controversy on this point may de.
| velop into one OF the largest
political rows that ever happened In
the Senate.
The issue which will be raised
10 as follows:
II the Government takes over
only a few of the railroads-such
as the Chesapeake and Ohio, the
Norfolk and Western, the Virginia,
and the Louisville and Nashville
strategic coal-carrying lines-it will
have to operate them with strike
breakers. The unionized railroaders
VIII refuse to go to work for the
Government under such conditions
They claim that they cannot be ex.
pected to help break their own
strike by hauling coal on the coal.
carrying lines out to other lines
which are still fighting them.
The result then would be that
the Government would be hiring
| .SA~Nsa NoNVAo anu WOulu De
ing the union" on the coal-carryins
lines and would be helping to bust
the union" on all the lines. But
that 10 precisely what Senator
Borah has charged the railroad ex.
ecutives with trying to accomplish.
Senator Borah has said that the
central purpose Of the railroad ex.
ecutives at the present time is to
bust the union"
III then the Government started
to do a thing which would amount
to assisting the railroad executives
In their union.busting policy Il
would most certainly follow that
the voice Of Senator Borah would
have TO be lifted in protest. So
would several other powerful voices
In both branches Of Congress. II
would be asserted that the Govern.
ment was IN fact and In practice
taking sides in the strike. II would
be asserted that II could avoid tak.
ing sides by assuming control Of all
the railroads together and by oper.
stins them on the terms of the
Presidents own first strike settle
ment plan.
l Aho sEhheEb bkfNcu 10 10 DhCk
to work under that plan, and since
II was the Presidents first plan the
public has assumed that II repre-
sents the Governments own first
Idea OF fairness and justice. II will
be argued that the Government
ought to stick to that idea and
ought to make Il the basis OF
successful resumption OF complete
railroAdina under Federal control
az once throughout the whole
United States. -.
This controversy could become n
political struggle Of the first masni.
tude with enormous consequences to
both political paftiet ana TO numsr.
out political leaders. such today 10
the prospect. II should be added that
close inquiry leads to the convinced
conclusion that the President abso-
y ltltnlv IN R0f C0n NiAarfns r~,lifl<.l 49,,