Evening star., 1922-07-30

| in June-"bitter- enders" who would
| never agree-and the conference failed.
| But Roosevelt's dander was up.
For the first time in labor disputes
| the public, that uncertain element so
| sought after in politics, was to be
represented. Roosevelt determined
| to usurp powers not conferred on
| vestigating committee to determine
the cause and remedy for the strike.
Asked Cleveland to Aid.
Forgetting politics, he wrote to
| popular with the capitalists because
| of his handling Of the railroad strike
of 1894, and obtained his consent to
/ head the commission in mind. The
governor Of Pennsylvania agreed to
call for troops saouid the necessity
arrive, and Roosevelt ordered Gen.
John NJ. Schofield to prepare to act
as receiver for the mining properties
and operate them. disregarding the
| wishes Of the operators.
Next the President chose Elihu
Root to bear news of his proposal
and the threat for an Army receiver
to Baer. Mr.. Root called on Mr..
, Morgan. who in turn informed Mr..
Baer.
The operators agreed in a few days.
but balked at Cleveland to head the
commission. They did not welcome
the idea Of a general Of the United
states Army as receiver for the
mines and concessions were quickly
in order. The arbitration commits
sion was appointed. the miners went
back to work, pending a settlement
of the dispute, and the commission
! met here in October of the year Of
the strike. The President greeted
the opening session of the commits
sion with his famous square deaP'
speech, the commission was In ses-
sion four months and its finding was
| hailed as a victory by both the
strikers and the operators.
Letter to senator Hanna.
How Roosevelt at first dispaired Of
| bringing the conflicting parties
together is told in letter which he
wrote to Senator Hanna after his
rebuff by Baer. He wrote:
well, I have tried and failed. I
feel downhearted over the result, both
| because Of the misery for the mass
of the people and because the attf-
tude of the operators will double the
burden on US while standing between
them and socialistic action. What
my next move will be I cannot say
feel most strongly that the attitude
of the operators is one which accen-
tuates the need of the government
having some power of supervision and
regulation over such corporations. I
should like to make a fairly radical
! experiment on the anthracite coal
icompanies to start with. At the meet
ing today the operators assumed. a
fairly hopeless attitude. None. of
them appeared to such advantage as
Mitchell. whom most of them de-
nounced with such violence and ran
cour. and felt he did well to keep
his temper. Between times they in
suited me for not preserving order
and attacked Knox for not having
brought suit against the miners
union as violating the Sherman anti
trust law
Aboard llefgan's Yacht.
Stirring scenes took place when
E1ihu Root was sent to interview
Morgan with tho Presidents big
stick" threat to agree to the arbitra-
tion proposal or hand over the mines
to-an Army dictator. One historian
describes them as follows:
I'm the sumptuous cabin of Mr.
Morgan's yacht Mr.. Root went over
the whole situation and urged the
hnancier to use his influence to end
the strike. To the request, made
many times. cold refusal was re-
turned Then Mr, Root schanged Ais
taes. IS.
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