The New York herald., 1922-09-02
Continued from First Page.


in the present distressed condition of the
country to have the support of public
opinion"
Senator Cummins replied: "The SEN
ator from Alabama knows you cannot
make unlawful now thing that was
lawful when it was done. It was lawful
for the shopmen to do what they did
when they struck on July !. and you
cannot make that unlawful now by an
act OF Congress-"
The Attorney-General has to-day
said this strike was unlawful. and he
has proceeded In Federal court in
Chicago against the action OF the
strikers" Mr.. Underwood suggested.
Does Not Seek More TRAINS.
THE Government now is trying" Mr..
Cummins declared. Ito get injunctions
just as every railroad attempted to do.
to prevent interference with the mails
and the interruption Of interstate COM
merce. 1t does not seek by that method
to add single train or a car to those
now in operation"
After Senator Underwood had scored
the trainers OF the Esch- Cummins act
for having eliminated the anti-strike
provisions, which he said would have
saved the nation from distress. Senator
Cummins put into the Record for the
first time the long discussion Of more
than two years, a statement that the
Senate conferees on the railroad law
had surrendered to the House opposition
against anti-strike sections when Presi-
dent Wilson had sent word he would
veto the bill II II carried those pro-
visions.
Mr.. Gompers's statement with regard
ntVo oi Anr TO-. 80
made in newspaper interview which
he requested to discuss the injunction
proceeding. Mr.. Gompers declared he
viewed procedure by injunction as much
more dangerous to the affairs of organ
lied labor than was anti-strike legisla-
ton. 1t is the most vital confronting
the unions, he said.
Mr.. Gompers declared that the in
junction was not lawful under the clear
provisions OF the Clayton act making
labor organizations legal and giving
them, he said. the right to do things
which the injunction sought to prohibit.
Denounees Court order.
He denounced the court order as a
process Of Bolshevism' and reiterated
that strong pressure was being brought
To bear upon him to call a general
strike. He frankly added: mo one
knows what may happen"
THE executive council of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor will meet Sep
tember 3. At that time" Mr.. Gompers
continued. lit is my duty to bring to
the attention of the executive council
the proposition of general strike be-
cause Of the widespread insistence upon
such a course"
He said that never before in his MEM
ory of organized labor activities has
there come such demand for gen.
eral strike. BY letters, kilograms, reso-
lutions OF labor locals. newspaper clip
pings and circulars. he said. has come
an insistent demand that he summon
a general strike. Tho aged labor chief
said he had been praised TO the skies
and damned to hell" by persons on
| 9th sides of the question who believe
he has the power to call general
strike.
Mr.. Gompers explained the meeting
Of the executive council had not been
specially called In view of the injunc-
ton. but that 1t was a regular meet
ing arranged for In June. Attempts to
pin him down regarding the likelihood
of a recommendation for general
strike being made by him to the exec
utive council drew the answer that he
preferred not to say at this time whether
he would make such a recommendation.
II was explained by officials cf the