Evening star., 1937-03-09
Entrance Slows
Eviction Move
byOfficials.
! OF 2 PANTS
PLANTS IDLE
Hotel Controversy
Is ''Sillv." Asserts
Maj. Berry.

The ace trouble shooter" of the
Roosevelt administration, Edward Nc
Grady, Assistant Secretary of Labor.
who has taken hand in most of
che big labor controversies of the past
four years, entered the picture of
Washington's first sit-down strike this
afternoon, at the Willard Hotel.
Meantime, a sit-down strike had
affected two factories of the National
Pants Co., in Southeast Washington,
but $50 employees of the larger fac
tory, at 408 First street, had returned
10 work early this afternoon after a
short period of sit-down idleness.
SiXty-five striking employees from
the other plant, at SIG Eighth street
southeast, gathered this afternoon in
Naval Lodge Hall, Fourth street and
Pennsylvania avenue southeast, to
hear addresses by group of union
organizers sent here from Pennsyl-
vania and New York by the Amalga-
mated Clothing Workers of America.
The factory strike was called in
sympathy with similar strike at the
Sollpdlly IlldlIl EI1dAlO III 4NC"IdSliC
Pa. where 400 are idle.
Temporarily, at least McGrady's
entry was believed to have delayed con-
eideration of previous moves of the
hotel management to evict so cooks,
helpers, walters, mattresses, elevator
boys and bellboys, who had been keep
ing an orderly vigil night and day for
nearly 18 hours.
Await Developments.
With their usually immaculate uni
forms getting wrinkled and the men
beginning to need shave, the sit
oowners quietly awaited developments,
in the kitchen, the locked dining room
and cocktail room of the big hostelry.
Room service continued, but meals
were being served only in the coffee
shop by non-union pantry girls. while
union bartenders, not yet called out
on strike, served drinks over the fancy
bar of the cocktail lounge, known as
the Willard Corner.
McGrady came in with Hotel Man
eger Harry P. Somerville and the
hotel attorney, j. C. Wyatt, together
with two other men whose identity
could not be learned. They entered
Somervilles Office, locked the door.
Photographers and reporters were not
allowed to approach the Office. Later
McGrady returned to his Office at
the Labor Department.
Meantime difference of opinion
broke out between Maj George L.
Berry head of labors Non Partisan
League, and some league members over
residence in the hotel. Berry, who has
resided there for some time, declared
he would stay there. but some others
who came for the conference already
were moving out today, to find rooms
elsewhere.
Strike Declared Silly.
Maj. Berry told reporters: This
strike controversy is silly. Neither side
has right to expect monopoly. The
Non-PartiSan League includes repre-
sentatives of cooks and walters unions,
and they haven't said anything to me
In protest He parried questions as
to whether he would take the last
session this afternoon out of the hotel
Patrick German of Chicago, presi-
dent of the Meat Cutters and Butchers
Workmen, affiliated with the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, said he was
moving out of the Willard. This busi-
ness of sleeping inside picket lines
doesn't set well with most of u.s." he
declared" and several of my friends
are moving out"
Outside the hotel, along the side
walk, carrying picket's banner, was
Miss Mabel Norman, waitress, who said
she had been discharged by the hotel
management last Sunday and was one
of the issues in the strike. Her dis
missal, she said, was allegedly because
of incompetence, but charges have
been filed with the National Labor Re-
lations Board, she said, that the hotel
dismissed her because of union activity,
and the case is to come before the
board March 49,
Organizer Sent Here.
The National Pants Co. sit-down
was managed by the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers of America, which
Is affiliated with the Committee for
industrial Organization.
The union, which has no local here
sent Frank Kirsch, an organizer from
Allentown, Pa, to arrange the strike.
The employees Of the First street
factory, which is the larger, locked the
(See STRIKE, Page A-3.)