New-York tribune., 1922-07-30
Rejection of His Plan by
Executives viii Bring
Prompt Use of ''Mailed
Fist" Advisers Insist
Executives Trying
To Bluff Strikers
Propaganda of Dissent
Expected to Sway Union
i'm Seniority Settlement
By Carter Field

WASHlNGION, July 29.-Wh1le
President Harding was putting into
written form his plan for ending the
railroad shopmen's strike to-day de-
velopments indicated that the rail-
roads are not satisfied with his pro-
posal, and may reject it at their
meeing in New York on Tuesday.
With this fear in their hearts
some of the Presidents advisers
have urged him to make the text Of
his compromise plan public, so that
public sentiment may be enlisted in
its behalf and perhaps force the rail-
road executives to agree to it.
Ozc Road Defiant
Others among the Presidents ad-
visers, however, have no fear as to
the rail executives, despite to-day's
developments, such as the announce
ment by W. R. Cole, president of the
Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis,
that he would not restore strikers
seniority rights, and the kilograms
sent by L. F. Loree, president of the
Delaware & Hudson, to the Senators
from Pennsylvania, New York and
Vermont, saying that the President
had not taken the trouble to ascer-
tain the position Of the shopmen now
on the pay roll of the railroads.
They believe the President can use
the mailed fist on the railroad chiers.
and will do SO if the rail owners do
not accept his proposal. On the other
hand, they think the propaganda being
put out by the railroad executives to-
day and up to the time of their official
meeting will have an excellent effect in
chastening the hearts of the strike
leaders.
Their theory is that as soon as the
executives have thrown a scare into
the union officials they will come to
terms, and the union heads meanwhile
Will have been put into a frame Of
mind where they will be glad to get
the compromise offered if it is finally
accepted at the meeting of the railroad
managers on Tuesday.
In short, some of the Presidents ad-
visers think the rail executives, espe-
cially Loree and Cole, are blu:ing. II
it should develop that they are not
bluffing, the President, they believe,
can force them to back down much
more easily than he could force the
striking shopmen to recede.
in the present strike situation, as it
is viewed here, the railroad owners
have considerably more courage than
the coal operators. Having gone the
limit in urging the coal miners to ac-
cept arbitration, the Administration
has calmly but vigorously gone to work
in an attempt to force the production
and importation of enough coal to pre-
vent real suffering this winter. For the
time being it has concentrated on this
job, instead of attempting to settle the
strike.
Operators and Governors Tagging
So far from joining in whole-heart-
edly, the coal operators are sluggishly
hanging back, and so are the governors
OF most of the al-producing states,
with the result that the Federal gov
eminent has been very active in an at
tempt to put backbone into both the
operators and the governors. The move
against the governors has taken the
form of threatening to give them no
coal whatever even for their water and
light plants unless they get to produc-
ing within their own borders.
Meanwhile the government has been
drafting a so-called compromise plan
in the railroad shopmen's strike, which
is, in fact, practically a surrender TO
the strikers. 1t provides that all
strikers must be taken back and given
seniority over strike breakers. The
only provision which is in the roads
favor is that the shopmen who re-
malned loyal and remained on their
JOBS are put at the head of the list so
far as seniority is concerned. The men
who took the places ct the urging of
the railroads and under promises that
their work would be permanent are
placed at the foot of the seniority list,
which would mean that ut the first
slack period they might be laid off.
The real truth is that the Admins
tration is anxious to get the shopmen
back at work on almost any terms.
whether the President himself believes
that he has surrendered too much or
not. Only by getting the railroads to
a point of 100 per cent perfect opera
tlon, IN the opinion of the AGministra-
tion, can the worst effects of the coal
shortage be prevented. Solution of the
coal strike as result of the refusal
OF the miners to accept arbitration by
a Presidential commission seems hone
less so far as the Federal government
is concerned. Hence the frantic desire
to get the railroads in shape, even if
a surrender has to be made to the
shopmen which under other circum-
stances might not be deemed in the
public interest.
Against Federal Seizure
The only lternative-Federal seizure
and operation of the mines-is one that
the Administration regards with un-
mixed horror. Lewis and other lead
ers of the coal strikers thought week
ago that they had forced the Admiais-
tration TO a point where government
operation was unavoidable, and were
jubiliant at the prospect. The cosl
miners are very anxious for govern
ment operation. With the mines
frankly in politics as part of The
aks ~ ~