The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-08-19
HARDING WILL
PASS The BUCK
). !: /. TO CONGRESS
President II a Y ing i n 6
Failed to Negotia
a Settlement Of the
Railroad Strike De-
cides to Transfer
t h e Problem t 0
Congress


Congress
: Washington, Aug. Is (By the
Associated Press).-Congress and
the country will be informed with
in &c hours by. President Harding
Of every fact in the railroad strike
situation as he views 1T, and a so,
administration advisers said today,
will be given an expression Of his
determination to give the full aid
I and protection Of the federal gov.
eminent to maintenance Of railway
operations. There is no. room for
|. further presidential efforts to
bring about compromise settle
ments Of the shopmen's strike, "a
thigh official at the White House
said, by negotiating between man
agements and the unions al
though the president does not wish
Ito hinder attempts Of officials Of
railroad unions not on strike to
mediate for their associates.
Meanwhile there emerged today
from the almost continuous meet
ing OF the transportation labor or
carnations heads an invitation to
the Association of Railway Execu-
| tives to reopen negotiations for a
compromise settlement Of the shop
mems strike. the five train service
; brotherhoods of engineers, con-
ductors, trainmen, fremen and
switchmen acting for the striking
crafts Warren S. Stone, chief Of
sengineers, expressed the belief that
:.the Executives would confer again,
meeting the brothrhoods' spokes-
Fmen by Thursday, and press dis
Epatches later confirmed his conclu-
sion.
President Harding also moved to-
night to support the interstate COM
merce commission in enforcing
safety laws which viii shortly re-
quire Withdrawals OF locomotives
from service on important carriers.
! With. the matter placed before him
hby Chairman McChord Of the COM
mission. President Harding replied
that he knew Of nothing to be
done except to insist upon enforce
,nent of the. law" and said he
trusted that inspection forces
would exert themselves to the
utmost, in. order to be able to
pass upon safe equipment"
Leaders OF. the striking railroad
unions now in Washington indicat-
ed their disposition. to await the
new peace efforts. Of their asso-
ciates. but made public their letter
rejecting President Harding's final
proposals for compromise settle
iment Of the. strike. Through B.
NJ. jewell, their chairman, they
falso issued a. statement contend
ing that the railroad responses to
the proposal had been a declin-
ton. The letter. in addition to
l.deeIarjng the presidents proposal Is
! t..impractieable,s asserted that the
! strikers would not return to work
unless assured of unimpaired SEMI
ority status.
I. A 'protracted session of the cabi-
met and visits to the White House
by; senators preceded the announce
ment that the president intended to
take the country and congress into
his confidence through a message.
The. Issuance of the correspondence
| on safety Of equipment also follow
ed a conference at the executive
Offices, where Chairman McChord
and, Commissioner Atchtson. and
Chairman Hooper, Of the railroad
labor hoard met with the, president.
It was the presidents intention, a
high official said, to incorporate in
his message the. facts as he had
learned them in the Industrial Sit
uation, during weeks of confer
ences and pconsid erations with the
men most intimately concerned.
The terms of his communication
to congress, and the possibility that
lit will contain, communications
for legislation to arm the executive
| in coping with the situation, it was
said will all depend on what events
transpire up. to the moment before
he. delivers the message.
! Attorney General Daugherty de-
clared today that reports to the
| justice department indicated a sc. Sc.
rions situation in Kentucky, due to
the tying up Of many coal cars. but
that in Illinois coal was being
moved in spite of sporadic efforts
Of mine strike synlpathizers to ''cut
out" coal cars. from trains. In the
west, he said, he had reports in
dicating that the Industrial Work
| ers of the World are quite active
| in connection with railway strikes'