The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-23

on cotton goods when the folks back home are demanding to know what is going to happen to the rail- roads and the coal bins. The busi- ness men at homo have heard that coal Is to be rationed. and they want to get their share of the rations. Hence the nasty charge of senators upon the front steps of the White House.
 Executives in Lime Light.
 / As in the days of war. the execu- tive branch Of the government once more has taken the center of the stage and Congress Is in danger of total even though temporary eclipse. The railroad and coal strikes are very intimate things to the people of the nation. The tariff is decidedly abstract if not abstruse and has an immediate and monetary interest to comparatively a few
 The senate is anxious to do some thing about the strike, gAt it is im- potent at the moment. Possibly eventually it will pass a resolution or some kind. Congress has to pass a law with teeth in it. Nobody knows who they might bite. If the House were in session, 1t would be even more restless than the Senate and the Presidents list of daily callers would be increased manyfold. But there are compensations, eyen in Congress adjournment. The various industrial agencies of the country are sending their repre- sentatives to Washington much as they did in the days of war. The hotel Hobbies, deserted a few weeks ago, have taken on the hustle of the wartime capital. Pennsvlva nia Avenue, often deserted in midsum- mer. Is choked with vehicular traf- fife. The White House and the gov ernment departments having even a remote association with the big twin strikes are besieged.
 Miners Onen Headquarters
 The miners have opened head Quarters in one of the loading ho- teis and the coal operators have in- creased their permanent staff in the capital to cope with the new situa- tion.
 While the railroad strike is being conducted from Chicago, the head quarters of the American Federation Of Labor is center of strike news, and interest. Here in Washington are located the central offices of the Association of Railway Executives,
 In short, Washington has become once more the great industrial clear ing house of the nation, and 1t is be- heved definite decisions must be reached or the blows fall which will write 2 chapter in the industrial re- lations >of the American republic.
 Harding At Work
 President Harding. at time when he expected to be roughing it and enjoying life In Alaska. finds him. self confronted by perhaps the most serious domestic situation with which an American executive ever has had to deal. He has given up all thought of a vacation at any time in the near future. The President could have played hockey from Con sress for while-Congress seems insistent upon emulating the gurg- ling brook--but the strike situation has caught the President in it's meshes and the discharge of great responsibility is full upon him.
 MT. Harding realizes that the in-- dustrial crisis has brought a crisisV in his own political career. His fu- ture largely is dependent upon the outcome of his handling of the great strikes. A lover of the regular or der, a great believer in conference and conciliation, the President still hopes his administration will be spared the use of force. MT. Hard ing is loath to buckle on the sword of commander -in-chief of the army, but if that becomes his duty he will not shirk 1t.