Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-30
Pennsylvania Governors
Emphatic Action in Crisis
Recalls Manner of PreSi-
dent He Admired
BY ROBERT T. SMALL
CLeased Wire Service to The Jouruat)
DOWNRIGHT 1923,

| tLpaSed wire service 10 Inc douTudl.J
Copyright, 1921
HARRISBURG, Pa, Aug. as
There is a decided Rooseveltian fla
vor to all that Clifford Pinchot, gov
ernor of Pennsylvania, is doing to
stop the hard coal miners from strik-
ing. The governor, tatored in poll
tics at hte knee of the colonel, is
trying out the big stick"
1T must not be; L will not permit
it," he says in effect, while the coun--
try applauds with the generous hand
which always goes out 10 the bold
or course Governor PinChot has
not the prestige behind him which
was RoOsevelts when the latter was
given credit for putting an end to
the anthracite strike in 1902. SO it
remains to be seen how he eventually
will fare as a result of the outcome
of the negotiations instituted by him
here.
That he is acting solely in his ca
pacity as governor, Mr.. Pinchot, the
one time chief forester Of the Roose-
welt administration, has taken pains
to make perfectly clear. The feder-
al government at Washington may
be ready to back him up in anything
he does, but the governor is not
counting upon this support. Here
allies that he is making a lone and
personal fight. If he loses he WY
not have lost cast for having tried.
If he wins even a partial or a moral
victory, great credit will be his.
Political Effect Important
The governors friends are not at
all unmindful of the political bear
ing theI present negotiations may
have upon his future. They believe
that Pinchot is another man of des-
tiny. He had lapsed into political
obscurity until three years ago when
constant criticism of the forestry
policy in Pennsylvania brought him
an offer from Governor Sproul to
become head of the state forestry
department. Pinchot gladly accept
ed the task. Then came the death
of Penrose and chaos within the Re-
publican party Pihchot, quick to
take advantage of what he regarded
as a favorable opportunity, an
nounced himself for governor and
won hands down. At once there was
great shout of 'Pinchot for presi-
DENT
The cry has not been forgotten.
And Pinchot today is in the saddle
in rock-ribbed Pennsylvania, as
much a boss" as the party knows.
OF course, there is an anti-Pinchot
faction within the party, but Pin
ChOt is governor for four years, and
the power and the glory of office
are his.
The political hackers who are
smiling so broadly today as the spot
light Of national publicity glows upon
Clifford Pinchot and his strong,
brave words to the recalcitrant min
ers and operators, say that the gov
ernore stepped into the critical an
thracite situation only after it, had
seemed to him that the federal gov
eminent had exhausted it's resources.
1t is known here that suggestions
had been made that President Cool
idge should call the warning miners
and operators to the White House. d.
It was pointed out in these dis
patches9a fortnight ago that the fed
eral coal commission would be unable
to make much, if any, Roadway in
untangling the situation and that
only personal and direct action by
the president might be effective.
PinchOt Acting Alone
, His friends say that Governor Pin
chot volunteered to act only when
assured that President Coolidge was
not ready as yet to take any steps
himself. SWhat the president may
do if the Pinchot conference ends in
failure no one here can say. Wash
ingtons attitude, at the moment,
seems to be one of 'Watchful wait
ing" so far as the anthracite strike
is concerned, but continued activity
in preparation to supply the eastern
country with substitutes if the sup
ply of anthracite shall fail.
Governor Pinchot was a gaunt,
grim, gray figure as he moved about
the state capital today, continuing
his conferences with operators and
miners. Tall and thin, his promi-
nent features rise out of palIid
cheeks. somewhat sunken. A loose
ly flowing, rather long gray
mustache hides some OF the stronger
lines in a firmly set jaw. A friend
ly twinkle and smile wrinkles about
the eye, however, tell of another
side to Governor Pinch0t. They
show that in the "even handed Jus
tice" he seeks to deal out theer is
a large element of friendliness and
humanity, with always perhaps just
little leaning to the under dog"
1t was this phase of Pinchot which
gave the miners some hope in the
present conferences. This hope was
bolstered by the character of the
men Pinchot called about him for
the conference. In this group are
many men who lean largely toward
the miners and believe that some
amelioration of working and living
conditions are due them. In Sc
lecting his own group of advisers
and investigators, Mr.. Pinchot has
shown that while he was glad to get
the federal governments best in
formation as to the anthracit- situa-
ton, he wanted in the end to rely
upon his own resources.
Methods Resemble ColoneFs
There is every reason IN heIieve