San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-18
Workers Program Is Set
and Will Not Be Changed
Before Then.
HEARING IS NO HELP
Coal Commission Unable
to Bridge Gap Between
Men and Operators.
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

Copyright, by The San Antonio Light.
New York, Aug. ia walkout of
all miners in the anthracite field on
the night of August 81 seems inevita-
Bile. Even if some new basis OF negc-
tiation should develop between now
d and then, there will be no alteration
of the program. The miners have their
backs up and will not work in the
absence OF a complete agreement. John
l.. Lewis, president Of the mine work
ers union, is not leading his men in
this stand. He is merely carrying out
their orders. The Federal Coal Com
mission, headed by John Hays Ham
mond, has discovered many things in
its series of conferences first with
miners and then with the mine own
ers. 1t has learned among other things
that these two opposing groups are
led by two very clever and resourceful
men. Two men who are very suave of
manner but very complex and intri-
cate when it comes to word of mouth
or pen.
The commission has learned that 1t
must always scratch far beneath the
surface of any written proposal or
counter proposal submitted by either
side to the controversy. In other words
things are not always as they seem.
Both operators and miners have a
Rooseveltian way of treading softly
but carrying a big stick.
Just now miners and operators are
engaged in an extremely clever battle
of propaganda. They have been at it
for a long time and have become ex-
perts at the game. The coal commits
sion was not onto their tricks when it
first came TO New York and optimis-
tically placed too much confidence in
what appeared to be a very frank
and engaging exchange of notes look
ing to a settlement of one of the prin-
cipal points in the deadlock which has
existed since negotiations were broken
off at Atlantic City some two or three
weeks ago.
Propaganda for Public.
The Atlantic City conference began
in an air of propaganda and it was
one of the most discouraging signs as
ISOLATED wit hthe conference.-the prop
uganda speeches and propaganda
statements were not intended to have
any bearing whatever upon the actual
negotiations. but were purely aud sole
ly for public consumption. 1t ap.
peared that both miners and operators
were convinced that n strike was GER
tain and each wanted to appear in the
best light possible before the public.
There was also the thought that the
side which must eventually find pub
lie opinion arrayed against it would
have to surrender. Therefore there
was a battle to win public opinion for
ones own side and array it against
the other. That battle still is in prog.
ress. The coal commission instead of
settling things by coming to New
York has lent fuel to the propaganda
fire.
The operators want to use the COM
mission TO convince the public that
right is solely on their side.
The miners want TO employ the
same vehicle to show that the opera
tors are all wrong and that right alone
resides with the underground workers.
Today statements and counter state
ments still were being filed with the
commission with the idea of attaining
the widest possible publicity.
Back Of the situation which exists