Evening star., 1922-08-05
MYSTERY IN RAIL
CONFERENCE HERE
Presidents Denial of Alter
ing Statement to CuyIer
Stirs PerpIexity.
by DAVID LAWRENCE,

The biggest of question marks rests
| today on chapter of White House
history In connection with the rail-
| road strike. What happened at the
! conference between President Hard
ing and T. De Witt Cuyler. president
of the Association of Railway Execu-
| tives. on Thursday. July 81? And an
other query pertains to what hap
pened between the time Mr.. Cuyler
left the White House and the meeting
of the railroad executives held In
New York six days later.
President Harding has felt COM
PEELED to authorize the Washington
newspaper correspondents to send
broadcast the statement that he did
not alter the proposal he made to
of seniority rights to the railroad
strikers. This significant denial was
made because Mr.. Harding was told
that an impression has been spread
that the original offer had been modi-
fed after Mr. Cuyler left the White
House. Such foundation as exists for
this impression may be traced to the
discussion which took place in New
York last Tuesday when the railroad
executives met.
Those who heard what was said at
the New York meeting have quoted
Mr.. Cuyler as having said that he
| read President Harding's letter with
considerable surprise"
Time OF Surprise Question.
Mr.. Cuyler didn't say when that
surprise occurred. Mr.. Harding has
revealed that the plan which he
drafted in his own handwriting was
shown to Mr.. Cuyler on the day he
a. hn
Cuyler said he was surprised. he
must have referred to the effect
which the proposal to restore SEN
iority rights to the strikers made
upon him when Mr.. Harding first
read him the letter. He couldn't pos
which the formal letter made upon
him when it was typewriter and
merely reproduced what Mr.. Harding
had shown him before.
Mr.. Harding was confident when
Mr.. Cuyler left here that the pro-
posals would be accepted aud that
the meeting of the railway execu-
tives would merely ratify the pro-
gram. Mr.. Cuyler must have given
the President the impression that he
would accept the proposals. though
under protest Otherwise the entire
administration wouldn't have been So
cocksure tHe strike was over the day
Mr.. Cuyler called. Every statement
given out by administration spokes-
men. both at the Capitol and the
Executive end of Pennsylvania aven-
ue, was along that line.
Two Conferences Held.
The most plausible explnation Of
the whole business would appear to
be this: Mr.. Cuyler and President
Harding had a long conference in the
morning at the White House offices
and then had another long talk in
the evening iE the executive man
sion. Under the spell of Mr.. Hard
ing's warm personality and persua-
sive arguments. Mr.. Cuyler felt the
influence of presidential command.
He had been told that II the pro-
posals weren't accepted the coal sit
country would suffer and that as a
move of expediency in the interest
of the public welfare. irrespective of
the question of princinle on seniority
rights. the plan should he accepted.
Mr.: cuyler went to New York to
there he found an amazingly hostile
atmosDhere. He saw he would be un-
able to turn the tide even IL he
fought hard. Secretary Hoover had
been asked to make the plea for the
administration plan. But that didn't
.fves 1t is said that when Robert
Lovett In a quiet and undramatic way
stated that he couldn't go back on
the loyal men in his employ an emo
tional outburst Of applause swept the
meeting.
Look Of Conviction!
So Mr. Hardine's arguments. made
through the head of the railway exc
cnti-es' o-caniza tion didn't carry con-
yiction. He has the alternative OF
modifying his proposal or sticking to
his Guns and laving the case in per-
son before the 148 railway executives.
Mr.. Harding may decide to reply by
letter TO the executives. pointing ont
that since they have agreed to abide
by all the decisions Of the Labor Board.
as contemplated by the transportation
act the seniority dispute might he
resolved by the board later on. The
President has let 1t be known that
substantial progress has been made
by the announced acceptance bv both
sides Of the principal point in his pro-
posal-recognition Of the United
States Labor Boards decisions. Some
formula must be devised, however.
for the actual return Of the strikers.
even though the seniority question Is
left undetermined. as some roads
would have to dismiss strike break
ers to receive back into their EN-
ploy the men who went on strike.
Several roads can take both groups
back and eliminate later but eastern
roads claim they couldn't handle the
surplus and ought not. to be expected
to carry that extra expense.