Evening star., 1934-07-16
Senator Goes
to Portland
Today.
L. S. WATCHES
LABOR CRISIS
Army and Navy Are
Ready to Act on
Short Notice.
BY the Associated Press

foy Jilc hSSoVldlcu
While no requests for Federal as
Sistance have been received, official
Washington scanned carefully all re-
ports from the San Francisco strike
area today, and Army, Navy and re-
lief agencies evidenced a readiness to
act if the emergency demanded it.
In an effort to strike at the core
OF the dispute in another sector. the
White House announced that Senator
Wagner of New York was leaving New
York City this afternoon for Port
land, Greg. to act as a mediator in
the longShoremen'S strike in that area
Senator Wagner, chairman of the
old National Labor Board. was under
stood to be going to Portland at the
request of the Presidents new Labor
Relations Board.
No Requests Yet.
War and Navy Department officials
and the White House said no requests
for Federal aid had arrived here, but
they were watching every develop
ment.
The Federal Emergency Relief Ad-
ministration indicated it was ready to
cope with any situation demanding its
attention.
Our position is that We are not
mediators in any labor dispute, but we
do not intend to see women and chill
dren penalized," said one authority
"If they are hungry, We will feed
them"
No special plans have been made
for carrying out an enlarged relief
program in the bay area.
The California relief machinery has
been functioning for months just as
it has been in other States and relief
officials said it could be expanded
very easily" to take care of any
situation it was asked to face.
The declaration of policy that nc
one would be allowed to starve has
not been modified, these officials said,
and would apply in the prospective
emergency In San Francisco and other
cities in the area.
Wait Official Call.
eve have not been called upon for
an enlarged program" they added
and SO far the relief burden has not
been magnif1ed greatly in any area by
strikes. We are at the call of Mayor
Rossi of San Francisco and Acting
Gov. Merriam of California"
Acting Secretary of War Woodring
said the War Department had received
no request from Acting Gov. Merriam
of California to send troops into the
strike area, and that the department
had no plans to order any troops there.
War Department officials indicated
if a request for aid did come from
Merriam it would be transmitted i'm
mediately to President Roosevelt for
Instructions
Maj. Gen Malin Craig, commander
of the 9Th Corps Area, at San Fran
cisco. has transmitted no reports to
the War Department indicating Fed
eral forces were needed.
Has 1917 Men.
Gen. Craig has 1917 men under
his command, including more than
800 stationed at the Presidio in San
Francisco.
Federal troops could be used. it is
understood, to afford emergency pro-
lection in the event of urgent neces-
Sity. Gen. Craig, if forced to do So
has authority to issue emergency or
derS. Authorization for use of troops
aside from urgent necessity, however
would be necessary from the War De-
partment. with approval of the PreSi-
dent.
1t was learned that Gen. Craig ano
Rear Admiral Thomas J. Sem, COM
mandant of the 18th Naval District
and Rear Admiral Yancey Williams
commandant at the Mare Island
Navy Yard. are keeping in close touch
with the constantly changing situa-
ton
The Army has its own docks at the
Preside. The Navy has only three de-
StroyerS in the area at present ano
they are assigned to reserve or other
duty. No change has been made in
their order. The Navy has a large
food store at Its Mare Island ware
house, while the Army has stores al
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