Evening star., 1922-08-04
Exchange Between the President
and J, Cleve Dean.

That the position taken by Pres1-
dent Harding In his letter to J. Cleve
Dean, refuting the latter's allegation
that the government was essaying
compelling men to work against their
Wills. establishes a precedent that
will be useful in future labor troubles
Is the opinion Of most OF the editorial
writers Of the country. They brush
aside the contention OF President
Samuel Gompers Of the American
Federation of Labor that man of
straw" had been erected for the Presi-
dents benefit. and argue that, re-
gardless of Deans identity. 1t was
sound wisdom on the part of the
President to reiterate that. while
there was no law which would COM
pei forced labor. there also was no
law to preYeht men laboring who de-
sired to labor, and that such men
were entitled to adequate protection
in doing SO. The Dean telegram also.
many papers believe. afforded a badly
needed opportunity for the President
to make plain that the government
would play no favorites" in labor
"A notably important part Of the
Presidents telegram" the Buffalo
Times pointed out. "is its denial of
any governmental coercion. the mes
pose as simply to prevent lawiessness
and violence" The letter. also. the
Providence Tribune is convinced. ia
"a deserved rebuke to those men who
would entangle partisan politics with
a national crisis: Is an honest and
the coal and rail strikes to a fair and
impartial conclusion, and Is a definite
statement OF the administrations
position toward both strikes. The
big, outstanding feature of President
Hardings dealings with the strikes
has been his sense of fairness. a de-
sire to see justice given to both shes.
a spirit of impartiality. all far above
the unwarranted attack of ]. Cleve
Dean"
The Springfield Republican is GER
tain that American labor will not be
placed under the gun I'm the sense OF
compelling it or any part Of it to be
employed against its will. There will
be no revolution on that score. On
the other hand. the policy of protec-
tion of American labor in it's right
to work is failure SO far as the
actual production of coal is concern
ed. The time seems to have come for
another chapter of the story"
In this connection the Buffalo News
says that "if the farmer, too, is on
ment tribunal the news of it has not
got around to us. This attempt to
drag the farmer into a partisan atti-
tude in a controversy in which he
along with the rest of the general
public Is the suffering third party is
one group of another, 1t must recog-
nize no class, neither capital nor Ia
Dor, farmer. mechanic nor manufac-
turer, when the common interest is
imperiled and the questions at issue
are debatable. The government that
that is willing to let its legally au-
thorized agencies be fiouted by group
interests is no government at all"
"The interchange" In the opiaien
melancholy sparring that does not
touch the controversy as it stands
today. The governments emphasis
needs to be brought back to the point
it occupied three weeks ago, to the
composing Of differences by arbitra-
tion instead OF to their elimination
by a destructive war of attritton."
But the Albany Knickerbocker Press
believes that "it cannot truthfully
be contended that~'the President has
not done all in his power to obtain
a settlement of the disputes that will
be satisfactory to all; he leaves & the
dent of all the people and when the
public's existence is at stake he must
and will move"
The Hartford Times also is con-
vinced that "if the acts of the gov
ernment appear to the strikers to
interfere with their freedom it is
only because the difference between
the two positions is that the railroad
workers exercise their rights OF
freedom in seeking to hinder the
necessary transportation Of the
country notwithstanding the provi-
sion made by law for the considera-
ton OF any Just grievance. The
the fundamental issues involved
should be read by every American
sMr. Harding speaks in his letter."
the Baltimore Sun says, with q vtgor
and spirit that rarely characterize his
utterances. He may almost be said
write it., Mr.. Harding. while still urg-
ing arbitration, says he is ready to
20 to the mat with any challenger on
the fundamental issue OF personal
freedom IL 1t is forced upon him. On
that ground he occupies an invincible
position. Let US hope that his actions
will speak as loudly and decisively as
After praising in warm terms the
Presidents reply to Dean. the Chicago
Daily News declares that "the situa-
ton that has developed demands sane
educational leadership In every neigh
borhood. The Presidents letter to the
labor swashbuckler propagandist fur
nfshes good beginning for. what
should be a systematic crusade under
taken everywhere by Americans Of
infeIlfSence to put down falsehoods
in the tnterests Of truth, democracy
and sanity. In this. same connection