Evening star., 1922-07-10
NEW COMPLICATION
IN RAILROAD STRIKE
Assigning of Other Union
Men to Strikers Work May
Spread WaIkout.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

| There's grave danger that as a re-
ployes of one class shall substitute
for others Of another craft, general
railroad strike may be precipitated.
| The railroad brotherhoods, led by
the trainmen and firemen's organiza-
tions, have let ii be known that their
members cannot be ordered to do
work which the men now on strike
are accustomed to do. Some of the
railroad executives take the view
that they have right to order any
of their employees to do any work they
please in an emergency. II such an
attitude Is persisted in, union men
now at work are expected to decline,
| and should they be discharged for
disobedience. they will be backed to
the limit by their own organizations
and a sympathy strike would then be
inevitable.
Rail Executives Differ.
The railway executives are by no
| means united as to the stand they
should take. Some of their number
think that a general showdown would
be benefit in the long run, as they
contend that public opinion would
swing away from the strikers, and
that once a railroad strike was won
by the railroads, the fears of indus
trial conflict which have been for SO
| many years worrying the railroads
would once and for all be dissipated.
The seriousness of the situation IS
thoroughly realized by the United
States Railway Labor Board, which
has adopted a resolution giving the
opinion that workmen Of one class
cannot be ordered to do the work of
the fact that work overlaps SO much
and that 1t is hard to draw the line.
Naturally the union men at work can
be expected to draw the line much
closer than the railway officials, who
are interested in keeping their trains
going no matter how the job is done.
The presence of militia in many
regions of the country is always l.
| potential source of trouble, and both
sides are none too sure that the strike
can be carried on without friction.
| The addition OF strikebreakers has
complicated matters on some roads.
In other words, as the trouble-m aking
factors accumulate an enlarged strike
area, including a gradually incress-
| ing number of men. Is developed.
| Sceutcos
| Many of the executives. who in
| their hearts are opposed to q strike
and who do not want to sec the
present situation complicated. arc DO
| ing everything in their power to pre-
| vent friction, but they scent real
danger in the attitude of those who
would insist upon substituting one
class for another regardless OF the
| dmonition of the brotherhoods and
the resolution of the Railway Labor
Board itself. These are the executives
who are still hopeful that a way may
be found to settle the present dfr-
Guilty in short time. but Just as In
the coal strike there are among the
operators widely divergent opinions
as to the policy that should be pur>
sued so among the railroads must the
railroads themselves adopt uniform
policy before il can be said that the
nation is immune from a real trans
portation tie-up.
Government officials were today
working over all the statutes which
could in any way give them authority
to use force to assist In the clearing
| up of the situation. The call for feo-
eral troops to protect strikeoreakers
as the several states feel able to cope
with the situation without FEDERAL
aid, but any interference with the
mails would surely bring the fed
eral government into the conflict.
Instructions have gone forth TO
! district attorneys to order the ar
irest Of persons interfering with the
mails, but aside from that phase OF
the controversy there is doubt
| whether the federal government has
| the power even indirectly to compel
the strikers to go back to work.
| Congress Unlikely to Act.
| Congress alone could make a strike
on a railroad a matter Of conspiracy
to interrupt interstate commerce.
but as the House has recessed and
the Senate is busy with the tariff
there are no signs that Congress is
perturbed over what is happening
or likely to happen.
| While measures of legal force are
F, lacking, the President can, of course.
use moral force and appeal to all
| the leaders of the contending fac
! tions to come to the White House
and find q common ground for set
! tlement. This move would be taken,
however, only as a last resort. as Mr..
, Harding is unwilling 10 give the i'm
preston that the United States Rail-
| way Labor Board is failure. He is
| more likely to advocate giving the
F, labor board greater powers. The sit
uation is drifting along dangerously.
the probability OF a general strike
as not altogether removed.
Copyright, 1s2a)