The Washington times., 1922-07-18


The determining factor Is winter.
The men are able to stay out till
railroads must he got into full op-
Grafton before winter comes. Can
,O00, 900 strikebreakers he put into
the mines and onto the railroads
before November I? This process
would have two parts.
The first part would be military
protection accompanied by a spread
OF the strikes. Tine military protec-
tlon would mean the guarding Of
literally thousands Of scattered min.
ing towns and OF scattered railroad
shops. The local civic authorities
are often in full sympathy with the
strikers. The guarding would nave
to be done by State troops and by
Federal troops. The local Communi-
ties often resent the presence Of
these outsiders. Union men still at
work on the railroads resent their
presence bitterly and already use IL
as a reason or excuse for quitting
work and joining the strikers.
The guarding OF mines and rail.
road shops can at enormous public
cost be done. IL can be done only
at the additional cost however. OF
spreading the strikes and OF crea'
ting enormous political angers and
dangers This is realized. and II
explains why the Government has
been so slow in providing military
protection.
The second part OF the process
Of putting "A million strikebreakers
or even half a million-into the
mines and onto the railroads would
be the finding OF them and then
the training OF them. In many
cases there would also have TO be
the transporting OF them to scat.
tered remote points and then the
erecting of barracks there for them
10 live in. 1t is feared that most OF
the men who would be willing TO
undertake this effort would be men
of adventurous rather than or
teachable and peaceful dispositions.
1t Is realized that the relations be.
tween such men and the adjacent
strikers would not be conducive to
uninterrupted study. 1t is per-
ceived that TO change half a million
men Into miners and railroaders IN
three months would be in any case
a terrific task. 1t Is perceived that
to do II in these present circum.
stances-and to men willing to dare
and endure these present Circum.
stances-is a task Of which the Is.
sue would be doubtful indeed.
-
The moral merits OF the matter
are dropping out OF sight There
are non.union coal operators here
who are fighting for a conscientious
cause with arguments perfectly
patriotic. Some Of these operators
are profiteering. Most OF the big
ones-delivering the big tonnages-
are not profiteering. Certain OF
them, in fact, are selling their coal
at prices far below Mr.. Hoover s
price levels. They have a certain
theory.
They say that this country must
have cheap coal. They say that
with cheap coal the industries OF
this country can beat the world
They say that with cheap coal we
can conquer the worlds trade. They
say that by means OF cheap coal
and only by means OF cheap coal
this whole country can be made
prosperous for everybody In II.
They advance arguments having
to do with our ultimate permanent
interests. They say that to resist
the union is In line with our ultimate
permanent interests. Meanwhile the
Government is obliged to consider al
immediate temporary interests. The
snow Is coming.
The snow is coming. and immediate e
freezing and starving are coming,
and all sorts OF possibilities Of poli.i.
cal revolving are coming. The chance
that the coal operators and the rail.
road managers with military protec.
ton could break these strikes by
November l Is nothing more than a
chance. II perhaps could be done.
II perhaps-very perhaps-could not
be done. The Government increas.
ingly sees the following choice be.
fore Il:
Shall II risk our next winters
national life on q chance?
certainty and security OF starting
the mines and the railroads fully
working again at union wages and
AZ the national cost?
II 10 thought here that the Pres.
ident can hardly be blamed for hav-
ink looked with hesitation at both
sides Of this choice.
a III