Evening star., 1934-07-16


with the aid Of the police and lav.
abiding citizens here the situation
should be kept in hand
About 500 soldiers are ready for i'm
mediate duty. however. with 900 more
available on short notice
Long before The 8 am deadlins
for the mass galkout. bringing tht
total number Of strikers here 70 ar
estimated $4,000. Mayor RoeSi ex
pressed the alarm Of many sar
Franciscans when he telegraphec
Acting Gov. Merriam to send more
Guarosmen.
Conditions such as these freouentl,
breed tumult. riots, laE infractlon,
nd disorder" he said Chief oil
Police william j. Quinn thought ths
first 2000 Guardsmen could not
handle the situation
San Francisco and the east bay
cities we're already without gasoline
except for doctors police and f1remen
Fresh vegetables and meats were Yir-
tually unobtainable
All San Francisco restaurants had
closed except 10 designated by the
unions General Strike Committee. the
committee organized its own police
force OF strikers and outlined a pro-
gram 10 control necessities with sup
ply depots 10 ration food
Automobiles were left in garages
Major street car lines had stopped
operating Continuation Of municipal
street cars under guard was in doubt
Occasional stones were hurled at them
Husky men stopped lone pedestrians
and cautioned them. IF you're think
Ing Of going to work. better not" Po-
lice kept loiterers on the move.
Telephone service. electric power
light and gas were assured. Federal,
state. city and union officials promised
San Franciscans would not starve de-
spite the blockade that has kept food
IN loaded warehouses from reaching
homes. and stopped farm produce on
highways miles from the city.
TheaterS Closed.
Theaters, amusement places and
small shops were closed. Department
stores did not know how long they
would be open. Milk and bread alone
were delivered. Private citizens with
automobiles loaded with food were apt
TO be stopped. have their supplies scat
tered on the streets
Generally a strange quiet, which
amused some and frightened others
TO the verge OF hysteria, hung over
the city as unusual precautions we're
taken TO insure order
So quietly did Acting Gov. Merriam
order in the 1000 extra National
Guardsmen that Mayor Rossi appar-
entity was not aware of il. for his tel
egrsm was sent when they were
nearly here. Morning newspapers
made no mention OF their arrival for
fear of whipping alarm into panic.
Troops Ready TO Spread.
Guardsmen have been restricted to
the water front. birthplace OF the
steadily increasing walk-outs. but the
Governor has repeatedly said he will
extend them over the entire city at
O word from Mayor Rossi
Chief Quinn began mobilization of
wartime veterans 10 augment 200
special officers. Every member of the
regular force was on duty. Oakland
put on 100 additional police and sew
ersl hundred special deputy sheriffs
Mayor RosSi appointed an Emergency
Committee of 500 citizens to plan dis
tribution of necessities.
The Carmen's Union, whose 4,800
members. all employees of the Market
Street Railway, urged the city to run
tvRtr h. ka TO xfN
lence. E. G. Cahill, manager of util-
tties, said the cars will run.
In addition 10 the union workers
in San Francisco, Oakland. Berkeley
and Alameda. thousands Of other men
and women were thrown out OF en-
ployment as business stopped.
Ma jor Disaster Seen.
Mayor Rossi, who declared the
strike is the greatest disaster that
has fallen upon the Golden Gate City
since the earthquake and fire of 1906, A"
proclaimed that the emergency re-
quired enlargement of the existing
functions of government
"For these purposes and 10 main
tain and uphold the government of
this city and county of the United
States of America. as ! am sworn to
do" the mayors proclamation said.
Il do now and hereby call upon the
loyal citizens of this community TO
cooperate fully with the military po-
lice and civil authorities He
called for counsel and advice from
all law-abiding citizens and said he
would Immediately appoint such
emergency committees OF citizens as
are necessary.
Federal aid to insure against hum
ger was promised by Robert Hinckley,
investigator for Harry Hopkins. ma
tional relief administrator.
A charge that the Overwhelming"
cause of the strike was an attack by
employers group upon lsborS right to
organize was made by Edward d.
Vsndeleur, president of the San Fran
cisco Central Labor Council. in
statement to Mayor Rossi The state
ment also was signed by George C.
Kidwell of the Central Strike Com
mittee. a conservative leader who had
opposed the walkout
They (the employers have en-
deavored TO use their own new huge
ulAlleO power tuuuCi the N. II. n
the statement said, to destroy the
labor organization 1t is in defense
against this catastrophe that the sub
stantial and responsible labor unions
OF America have been forced to take
action
Martial Law Threat Seen
In another statement, VsndeleuT
who is also chairman of the Central
Strike Committee, declared the San
Francisco Industrial Association was
placing T50 strike breaking trucks
with armed guards into service TO
move freight from warehouses and
docks.
1t is also a reported plan of the
association. Nsndeleur said. TO
spread panic and terror throughout
the city by calling upon the Governor
90 declare martial Law to protect their
activities"
Lights and power for the strike
locked metropolitan area approx
mstely the size of the State of Rhode
Talu ~.