Evening star., 1934-07-18
Arbitration.

Arbitration.
When the General Strike Commit
tee in San Francisco voted last night
for arbitration It dealt the radical
element among the strikers and the
fomenters Of the longshoremen's strike
O heavy blow. Their action served as
a notice TO the longshoremen's union
and the other maritime unions that
II they would not submit the ques-
tions at issue 10 arbitration they
would have 10 look after themselves
and not count on organized labor of
the whole region to back them up
The vote OF the General Strike
Committee also places the question
OF peaceful adjustment OF the diff
ferences between them and their
workers up TO the maritime employers.
II the employers reject the proposal
for arbitration offered by the Presi-
ufilt lbAlkcilVlt bOoAtt SNh hP hAiNNa
the terms OF the new labor adjust
ment act passed at the last session
Of Congress, they are likely to find
the force Of public opinion turning
against them. And the force OF pub
lie opinion Is what in the end wins
In this country.
The decision of the General Strike
Committee to ask for arbitration is
tribute TO that force in the very sec
ton Of the country where the strike
Is under way. The walkout of men
employed In industries where no con-
nictS exist, merely because men in
other industries are on strike, the So
called sympathetic strike Of men not
directly affected, which in San Fran
cisco has become a general strike,
does not appeal to the intelligence OF
Americans. When hundreds OF thou
sands of persons, perhaps millions,
who are in no way connected with the
differences which exist between EN-
ployes and employers in given in
dustry are TO be made to suffer be-
cause of the stiffnecked attitude of
labor or capital, or both, they are
likely to assert themselves. They are
not going to take their suffering lying
down.
Public opinion in this country has
never backed general strikes. 1t is
not going to back the general strike
in the San Francisco area. At time
when millions of Americans are out
OF work and pleading for chance to
be allowed to earn their livelihood the
picture of thousands of men and
women who have been we'll employed
leaving their jobs when they them
selves have no grievances does not
find a sympathetic reception in the
eyes of the people.
The resolution adopted by the Cen
eral Strike Committee calls upon the
Governors of the three Pacific Coast
States and the mayors of all the
cities involved to appeal to President
Roosevelt ito act in this emergency"
to the end that all waterfront en-
ployers and recognized organizations
OF employees be requested to submit to
arbitration all questions in dispute.
Such a roundabout way of obtaining
arbitration may not be necessary. On
the other hand, the good Offices of the
President of the United States, II they
become essential, are not likely to be
withheld. A request by the President
directed both to the workers and to
the employers that they submit their
differences to arbitration would have
back OF 1t tremendous support from
all parts of the country.
1t has been charged that the strike
on the Pacific Coast has been To-
mented largely by Communists,
and that they have determined
on riot and bloodshed in the
hope Of stirring class hatreds to a
white heat The people on the Pa
ciic Coast-who include organized
labor generally-sre not likely, how
ever, to permit a radical minority to
dominate them.