The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-08-05
Big Stick
Held Over
Coal Men
Harding to Take Drastic Ac.
tio TO End Strike il Con.
ference ut Cleveland
Fails.
Plans to Operate Mines

Washington, Aug. 4.-Drastic ac.
tion by the government TO force the
production OF coal and avert, II pos
sible. the increasing menace OF coal
famine this winter will be taken by
President Harding next week, unless
IN the meantime there are promising
intimations that a settlement OF the
coal strike can be effected through an
agreement between the mine workers
and the operators.
AT present there are no such in
timations. The president. however,
is willing to wait until after the con-
ference between the representatives
OF the mine workers and few OF the
operators at Cleveland on Monday.
1T this produces no results which
promise the resumption OF coal min
ing upon an extensive scale, the
president has decided, the time will
have come for the intervention of the
government in the interest of the
general public.
May Seize Mines.
The presidents plan, as understood
by some OF his advisers, will be ia
take over a number of larger mines,
place United States troops in posses
sion Of them and call upon miners.
regardless Of whether they are union
or nonunion men, to 10 to work for
the government. with full assurance
OF adequate protection.
That this course will be pursued is
now regarded as certainty. It is
no secret among the presidents close
friends and advisers that he has no
hope that the Cleveland conference
will advance the nation any closer to
an adequate fuel supply than it is at
present.
Action Justified.
AS the head of the government, the
president, it is understood, believes
that any action that may be neces-
sary to lessen the danger and to
compel : resumption of mining will
be justified by the service rendered
'ahe public. ~
Tie information received by the
government Of the number of oper-
ators who will attend the Cleveland
conference on Monday affords no
basis for hope that conditions can be |
materially bettered by that meeting.
A total production Of not more than |
S0.000,0OO tons of coal, it is asserted, /
will b. represented on the operators
Side, too little to be an important fac
tor in Nthe solution of the nations
fuel problem. r..
In the meantime, the officers Of |
The general mine workers organiza-
tions are striving to close the mines |
in the nonunion districts and their |
success would add greatly to the dif-
ficulty and threatening character of
the situation. =
Time for Action.
These circumstances have all |
forced the president to the conclusion
that there should be no further tenn
porizing upon the part of the gov
ernment.
The presidents program thus far
has been mapped out with reference
solely to the bituminous mines OF
the country 1t is expected that an
agreement will bring about re-
sumption of mining in the anthracite
mines. But it is definitely under
stood that should an agreement be-
tween the anthracite workers and
operators be delayed that the presi-
dents same policy will be carried out
in the anthracite regions as in the
bituminous. -.
The Interstate Commerce commits
sion issued an amendment to its gen.
eral priority service order so as to
bring within the priority provisions
biiuninous coal which has passed
over, screens Of four inches or. larger
opening, coal and anthracite coal to
be shipped to retail dealers for house
hold use.