The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-01-05

Dave Robertson, chief Of the
railroad firemen and enginemen,
together with Tom Cashen Of the
switchmen and H. w. Fraser Of
the conductors, held secret
meeting in which they decided to
demand better ter..Is than the
compromise proposal offered by
the President as Federal arbiter.
Also, there was talk Of calling
another strike when the railroads
were returned to private opera
ton - If the wage terms weren't
met.
That Is why the railroads may
be kept in the hands of the gov
eminent - at least until the three
rebel unions definitely agree on
a wage settlement.
It didn't leak out at the time,
but two brotherhood leaders
staged a terrific row during one
phase Of the negotiations, and
J. ]. Policy, representing the
railroad operators, had TO pacify
them.
It happened after A. F. Whit
ney, head Of the trainmen, &C
cepted RoOsevelt's offer TO act
as arbiter. In the presence Of
the other brotherhood chiefs
and the railroad executives,
Dave Robertson launched q
stream Of abuse at whitney, ac-
cusing him Of trying TO curry
favor with the President.
Whitney shot back that it
would not only hurt the nation,
but be suicide for the brother
hoods to carry their strike threat
too far in wartime.
LABOR COLONIES
The War Department didn't an
nounce 1t, but 1t. Gen. B. B. SOM
ervell offered colonel's commits
sions to both Whitney and AL
vanley Johnston of the locomo-
tive engineers, who accepted the
Presidents arbitration and were
appointed labor advisers to the
Army. Somervell suggested that
they become colonies. They
promptly vetoed the idea, how
ever.
i've got a son who has been
q colonel In the Army for a
good many years." replied Whit
ney. HE got his eagles the
hard way and I wouldn't insult
him by accepting q cOlonelcy on
q silver platter"
Locomotive engineer Johnston
echoed the same sentiments. They
didn't tell General Somervell,
however, that II they accepted
commissions in the Army, they
knew they would be taking or
ders from him, not from their
unions.
Inside fact is that the Presi-
dent had not planned to take
over the railroads on December
~. He was going to wait UNI
til December 20 or 20, just be-
fore the strike deadline. There
was also very definite informa-
ton that all the unions would
call off the strike threat at tine
last minute.
However, the President decided
to act drastically and one day
earlier for this reason: its effect
on the striking steel workers. on
other labor, on Congress and on
the country generally.
He himself was getting tired
Of strike threats and he had in
formation that the country was
tired too. The country was get
ting the impression that he was
being run by labor, and he de-
cided that this was good chance
TO prove the contrary.
General Somervell had been Or
dered a few days before to draw
up plans for taking over the rail-
roads. He and his staff spend 90
hours on 1t, produced a thick book
Of plans q little earlier than ex-
pected. So the President moved
in.
THE HOPKINS LETTER"
The Justice Department has UNI
eafthed all sorts OF ways to pun
ish the forger Of the Harry Hop
klns Letter" TO Umphrey Lee,
president Of Southern Methodist
University, predictin. Willkie
would get the Republican PreSt-