The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-04
new HOPES
TO MEDIATE
RA|LSTRlKE
Government Slow to Make
Use Of Troops il
Settlement.

, 06GGl6u6uC.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1922, by The Argus.)
Washington, D. c., Sept. A.
Further efforts to settle the shop
mems strike may be expected this
week. The federal government is
not content with the restraining or
der it has obtained from the courts
to prevent violence and Interrupt
tion of railway traffic. Unofficial
moves to mediate are natural cor
of the situation. The sue
cess of mediation in the hard coal
strike and the peaceful ending of
the soft coal controversy have made
even more necessary the finding of
some common ground for the set
tlement of the shopmen's strike.
Unless cars are available to move
the coal that is produced the end
ing of the coal strikes will have
been futile. The entire attention of
the government now is concentrat-
ed on the rail dispute. Attorney
General Daugherty's statement to
the federal court in Chicago that
equipment was defective and that
1000 mail trains had to be annulled
do not square with the optimistic
expressions from the headquarters
Of the railway executives about
normalcy on their roads. The ex-
ecutives have been issuing state
ments galore in an effort to induce
strikers to come back to work, it
being assumed that the strikers
will grow panicky and flock back
TO their posts as they see their jobs
being permanently filled. But the
morale Of the strikers is not SO
easily broken and the government
knows exactly how bad are trans
porfation conditions.
Two fundamentals, however, in
terpose themselves in the situation
the railroads cannot be compelled
to take back their old employees un-
less they wish to do SO of their own
free will and the striking shopmen
cannot be forced to go back to
work under conditions unfavorable
to them. Neither the United States
labor board nor a million injunc-
tions can directly force either side
to yield. AS the endurance Of the
fight drags on, however, the condi-
ton of railway equipment, coupled
with the spread of acts of violence
will! compel the federal government
as the agency of the public welfare
to take a hand and bring federal
force into play.
Two Influences.
Here again are two opposing in
fluences-the railway executives
and behind them the conservative
elements in the American business
world who insist that if protection
were really granted there would be
enough men recruited to break the
strike and the advocates of govern
|ment operation of coal-carrying
roads who insist that the former
course would only mean delay and
no assurance of normal transporta-
tior.
Along with the idea of furnish
ing protection, it is being urged
that the government use the entire
army if necessary to enforce the
injunctions which have been issued
against strikers who may perpe-
trate acts of violence. 1t is a short
step to the use of troops on trains
irrespective of whether prospective
violators of the injunctions are &C
tually known to be in the pathway
Of trains thought to be.
Federal troops are bound to be
used in large numbers before the
strike is settled, but there is dis
inclination to use troops unless the
government actually is in control
of the roads. And under such cir
cumstances the strikers are not
likely to interrupt traffic. but are
represented as more than eager tc
effect a settlement. The moment
government control starts, the shop
men will return to work. The mo-
ment troops are used to protect
trains which are run by their pres
ent owners, the acts of violence
probably will cease, but labor lead
ers who are not given to exagger-
ated statements predict that the
backs of the strikers will be stiff
fened and they will refuse even
more stanchly to return to their
Jobs. Then it will be question OF
getting competent workmen. On
this question no exact information
is available. President Harding has
been given the guesses and conjec-
lures Of all interested parties or
this point. He has only his exper.
ience in the coal strike to go on
for he was told that il protection
were furnished there would be
plenty of men willing to mine coal
He invited the operators to reopen
their mines under those conditions
but very little increase in coal pro-
duction was noted.
Mr.. Harding is personally oppos
ed to seizing any railroads. He has
only permitted his mind thus far t.
gauge the possibility OF asking
congress for the necessary power
while promising not to exercise II
The drift Of events, however. /,
slowly, In that direction, unless
some mediation can be devises