Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1922-07-29
HARDING APPEALS
TO RAIL WORKERS
Replies to Bitter Attack by
Chairman of Employees
Association.
INVITES HIM TO AID PEACE
President Wires j. CleVe Dean to Use
His Influence to Prevail Upon
Striking Shopmen to Return
to Work.

Washington, July 27.-President
Harding called upon the Railway En-
plOyees' Publicity association TO urge
the striking ShOpmen to return TO
work. At the same time he declared
he would join in asking the Railway
Labor board to reconsider any phase
of its recent wage decision Ion which
there is any reasonable doubt"
The Presidents prOnOuncement was
telegraphed to ]. Cleve Dean, chair
man of the association. 1t was in
reply to a telegram from Dean who
made vitrOlic attack upon Mr.. Hard
ing's handling of the strike situation.
He accused the President of attempt
Ing to thrust involuntary servltude'
upon the people. and predicted a war
between capital and labor as a result.
Presidents Reply.
To these assertions the President
replied dispassiOnately, but with grim
emphasis. He dismissed Deans politi-
cal attack with:
81 can only treat your politically
partisan references with the contempt
which is felt by every good citizen In
the hour of deep public concern" The
President continues:
"NO one has attempted or proposed
to draft free men into either the rail
way or the mining service, or sug
gested coercion under military force
The military forces of free America
are never used for such purpose.
Their service is only that of prevent
ing lawIessness and violence. The
same unchallenged freedom which per
mits you and your associates to decline
to work is no less the heritage of the
free American who chooses to accept
employment under the terms pro
posed"
The President then reviews at
length the steps he has taken to bring
about settlement of the rail and coal
strikes, and of the conference with the
coal operators that led to the Presi
dents invitation to them to return and
operate their properties, under pro-
lection. He adds:
"This protection applies alike to the
men on strike who observe the law
and make no lawless interference with
men at work, and to the men who are
lawfully at work and entitled to pro
lection by every agency of government
in that work. If you mean to chal-
lenge the righteousness of free men to
be protected in their lawful pursuits
against interference and violence, ]
will be glad to join you in submitting
that question to the decision of the
American people"
Says Law Must Be Supreme.
Ending. the President stated:
eff you are the believer In peace
and harmony and the reign Of justice
which you would have believed, I
invite you now to pass judgment on
the failure of the mine workers to ac-
cept the awards of an able and i'm
partial commission in determining the
merits Of the dispute between coal
miners and coal operators, and invite
you to urge the striking railway work
men to accept the decision of the
American Railroad Labor board, act
ing under the authority of the law
which must be supreme, and return to
work under shat decision, until you
and I, and every one else interested
In American welfare, may join in ask
ing the railroad labor board to give a
rehearing on any question concerning
which there is a reasonable doubt
about the correctness or justice of the
decision made.
"These are the ways of peace, these
are the requirements of enlightened
civilization, these are the things eX-
pected by your government of its loyal
and law abiding citizenship"