The New York herald., 1922-08-06
SUNDAY. AUGUST 6. 1922.
Who Started the Strike?

Whether ii is leader of the strik-
Ing shop crafts or leader OF any
other railway union, when he talks
about the roads making a drive in
this shop workers strike to break up
the rail unions he should take into
account the fact that. the American
people are not fools.
Who started this strike? There
isn't a man. woman or child in the
country that doesn't know who
started it and who is still keeping it
up to its last gasp.
The railroads did not put the shop
workers out. did not want them to go
out. The shop workers took them
selves outlook themselves out on
strike after a defiant ultimatum on
the decision of the United States
Railroad Labor Board. They went
out against the protests Of the rail-
roads. They went out against the or
ders OF the United States Railroad
Labor Board. They went out against
the injunctions Of the President of
the United States.
On the very day the unions went
out they could have gone back. not
on the terms of the railroads but ur-
der the decision of the United States
Railroad Labor Board. The board
tried to get them TO go back, but they
would not. They would not even con-
fer with the board. The roads tried
to get them to go back. but they
would not. They all could have
gone back any time during several
days following the strike, but they
would not.
II they cannot all so back now it
is because the places of more than
half. perhaps three-quarters, of the
strikers have been filled, and the ma
jority OF the great railroads have
pledged themselves not to throw out
the men now on the job in the places
of the strikers. The roads have
pledged themselves to preserve the
seniority rights and other privileges
and benefits of those men now on the
jobs. And the roads could not betray
these men and throw them out or
sacrifice them in any way to the
strikers, who we're not forced out but
who insisted on going out against all
Efforts to keep them in-the roads
n Cot a f,,l. a
loyal workers without staining their
own honor and outraging American
sentiment. So there isn't room now
for all tho strikers to go back.
But the striking shopmen are still
free to go back into as many vacan-
cies as yet remain. They still can go
back. not on the wage scales and
working conditions fixed by the rail-
roads but on the wage scales and
working conditions handed down in
that decision of the United States
Railroad Labor Board Those for
whom there is room can 30 back as
members OF their unions.
Such strikers as could be taken
back would 60 back, 1t is true, with
their labor organizations shattered az
TO numbers. But that would not be
the work OF the railroads. Ii would
he the work Of the unions which sc
badly ripped up their own organiza-
tions by going out and staying out
until the great bulk Of the places had
been filled permanently by others.
When the unions were in their
places under the decision of the
United States Railroad Labor Board
nobody except themselves could have
put them out. and under those de-
cisions OF the board nobody except
themselves could have broken up
their organizations. But IL they wait
until all, or nearly all. the vacancies
are filled 1t Is fact that their organ
izations will be broken up. will be
utterly destroyed--destroyed BY
themselves.
Neither labor union leaders nor
intervening, intriguing politicians car
fool the clear headed American public
about these hard facts and plain
truths, They might as well give ur
trying to fool the clear headed Ameri-
can public about them. II they wan,
10 do something for the strikers lei
them quit spreading palpable false.
hoods and get the strikers hack tC
work, those that still can be taker
back. before II Is too late for any OF
them 10 be taken back