The New York herald., 1922-07-27
HARDING DECLARES
ALL LABOR IS FREE
Denounces j. Cleve Deans At
titude That Guns Are
to Control.
WOULD PROTECT WORKERS
Demands That Both Rail and
Coal Men Accept Settle
ment Plans.
WOULD PROTECT WORKERS

Special Dispatch to THE NEw York HrzALp.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., July 28.
Following are the text OF a letter
which President Harding received
from ]. Cleve Dean. chairman of the
Railway Employees Publicity Asso-
ciation, and the Presidents answer.
which expresses contempt for par
tianship in the present industrial crisis
and calls upon the railroad employees
and mine workers to return to work
and accept awards Of impartial agen-
cies representing the Government and
the public.
Mr.. Deans Letter.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. July 90, 1922.
Hon. Warren G. Harding,
President. Washington. d. c.
I wish to point out to you that the
railway employees and miners who
are on strike are loyal American citi-
zens and are only executing their
constitutional rights. A large per-
centage Of them fought on European
SOAA Nidh AitIG III Dc ITO TlOTt WAT,
and for you or any Governor to at
tempt to operate the mines or rail-
roads by military forces or to at
tempt to draft men into mining or
railroad service would be an attempt
to establish involuntary servitude.
And / dare to predict that when
involuntary seryitude" Is attempted
by you, then the long predicted war
between labor and capital will loom
UP. The American farmer and labor
have come to realize the hostile atti-
tude of the G.. O. p. toward them
and they realize that the hard times
that now exist is a premeditated plan
to bring the farmer and labor down
to their knees.
The blood of the American farmer
and labor is at broiling heat be-
cause they came to the firm conclu-
sion that their Government, or your
Administration at least, is against
them: pray that 1t will not come:
yet 1 feel at liberty to predict that
In your attempt to place the Amer
lean labor under the gun nothing
short of revolution will happen.
l am a lover of peace and har-
mony. yet i am for these striking
railway employees and miners and l
know that they will put forth every
possible means to keep peace in our
country. But these are days which
try the very souls of men," and /
am hoping that you will be wise
enough to see the dark clouds that
are In the horizon sky and will
change your attitude so as to remove
these clouds
j. cLEvE DEAN,
Chairman Railway Employees Pub
lon.
The Presidenrs Answer.
July rs. 1922.
Mr.. J. CLEvE DEAN, Chairman Rail-
way Employees Publicity Associa-
tion, Chattanooga, Tenn:
Since you speak as chairman OF
the Railway Employees Publicity
Association and since II Is exceed
ingly important that the American
people know precisely the questions
at issrte In the present railway and
coal strikes I am more than glad to
answer your telegram. though / can
only treat your politically nartisan
references with that contempt wnicis
Is felt by every good citizen in the
hour of deep public conceTn.
Happily for the American public
everything done and everything said
by Government authority relating to
the two strikes Is a matter Of record
and cannot in any way be distorted.
There is no dispute about the loyal
American citizenship Of the men on
strike, nor will any one question that
many OF them gave everything that
man can give for the service OF this
country In the world war. Nor IL II
disputed that the men on strike are
Continued on Page Two.
THINKING OF going away over the week