Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-09-07
RAILWAYS FACING
u. S. PROSECUTION
Government Said to Possess
Damaging Data on Con-
). dition of Equipment.
ROADS RAP. INJUNCTION
r nr
iDie. Hard Executives Fear Men
will Surrender to Court Rather
Than to Employers.
ny DAVID LAWRENCE.

The federal government is in pos
session of positive information tnat
fine condition of equipment on the
railroads of the country ~ h'u.i,
worse than the public imag'nes. ana
al the proper time will bring 1or'n
the evidence as a basis of action
The Injunction process begun by
Attorney General Daugherty against
the strikS leaders is in It's INFANCY
He intends to proceed in due TIME
against the railroads who may De
violating the transportation act or
the regulations of the Interstate
Commerce Commission with respect
to equipment.
AS for the temporary injunction
already obtained by the Attorhes
opposition is coming from an en-
tirely unexpected quarter-naiiel!
certain rail executives known as
..frreconcilables." They and others
who sympathize With them are criti,
cizing the injunction on n. grounu
that II abridges free speech, but their
real feeling IL that the government
mas interviewed at the wrong Time
and has brought about SITUATION
which will permit the strikers 10
bow to the federal government III
stead of to the railway executives.
Claim Strike Lost.
1t is true that there are defects in
the temporary Injunction. and no one
will be more eager to see them cor
rected by the court next Monday than
the Attorney General. but the inter-
esting phase of the matter is the Wig
nrous criticism which has been made
in quarters where the desire of rail-
way executives that labor Leaders
have free speech is about as enthu-
siastic as their fondness for the
unions themselves.
What certain railway executives
fear-and their viewpoint has by no
means been concealed-is that the
unions will capitulate to the govern
rent. They feel they have the strike
beaten. and. IL the truth be known.
many officials in the government be-
lieve it. too. But. as one member OF
the cabinet expressed it. the govern
ment is mot interested in whether the
efYect of it's action Is to crush unions
Or help unions, but to get transporta-
tfon."
he and the President came to the
conclusion that sabotage on the rail-
roads had to cease and that the IN
junction process would stop It. Inc
reports received since the injunction
was issued-namely, a quoting down
OF the situation generally-are point
ed to as Justification of the step taken.
Determined to Move Coal.
THE government wants coal moved
Il could not permit interference. 1t
will now insist on performance by
the railroads The injunctions are ex-
pected to prevent striking shopmen
from preventing willing workers
from repairing railroad equipment. IT.
with the protection OF the courts.
workers cannot be secured and equip
nent continues bad. the next step will
be restraining orders against the rail-
WAYS, and if they find they cannot
operate trains because of the gov
ernment's injunction against the use
Of defective equipment. seizure OF the
eoal-carrying roads is contemplated.
Z That's the situation as rumors Of
peace Ali the air. Traced to their
Doint of origin, it is found that nu-
fnerous adjustments between fndi-
vfdual roads and striking shopmen are
being negotiated. Whether these ad-
justments will be sufficient to give
the country adequate transportation
for It's fuel. nobody in the government
knows, but the inclination is to be-
lfeve that the die hards" in the rail-
way executive group will not permit
a settlement until they have forced
their victory clear to the hilt.
Copyright. 1921