The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-19
MUCH CONFUSION
REPORTED AT BIG
TRAFFIC CENTERS
Brotherhood Leaders Agree
To Delay Walkout AZ
ter Talk With Truman
(By The Associated Press)

A tieup of the nations
vast railroad system was post
poned for at least five days
yesterday following a request
by President T u m an to
brotherhood leaders, but de-
lay in getting the word to
rank and file union men who
run the trains disrupted serv-
ice generally for several
hours.
Widespread confusion was
reported in practically all ma
jor rail centers because the walk
out of 250,O00 railroad trainmen
and engineers-called for pm.
local time yesterday was cam
celled only few minutes before
the deadline in the eastern time
zone.
The time lag in dispatching no.
tees to brotherhood locals caused
thousands of travellers to be in
convenienced as many train crew
members declined to work until Of
ficial notice had been received
from brotherhood headquarters in
Cleveland, ->. ....-- .-.- -----
Many Trains Affected
A New York Central office said
that 80 trains had been affected
in New York's Grand Central sta
ton alone and train movements
halted in Boston, Houston, Tex,
Louisville, KY, Omaha and other
cities.
Some localities, however, report
ed little or no interruption in sefv-
ice.
The widespread disruption in nor
NAL traffic occurred after the fed
eral government Friday seized the
$27, 900, ,000,00 rail system and pre-
pared to operate it under the Office
fof Defense Transportation.
Brotherhood representatives in
many areas declared the strike was
on until they received word from
union headquarters.
In Cincinnati J. A. Zanger, repre-
senting the trainmen in that area,
asserted the strike was on at p.
m. for $500 railroad workers be-
cause no official message had been
received from union leaders. Two
hours later, after receiving official
notice, he said I'm ordering the
men back to their jobs.'
The Cincinnati situation was
duplicated in many other cities.
Stoppage Ended
In New York, official announce
ment of the postponement came
shortly after p. m. (EST), thus
ending a stoppage of train service
which for two hours left thousands
stranded in stations.
A. F. Whitney, president Of tho
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen,
and Alvanley Johnston, head Of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers agreed to reset the
strike call for 4 p. m. Qocal Stand.
ard Time) Thursday after tele-
phone conversation with Presideef
Truman.
They wired special code naS-
sages to their members to stay on
the job, even as pre-strike pre-
parations had begun to slow the
pulse of the nations $27, 900, 900, 00d
rail system and government agen-
cies shaped hurried plans to meet
the crisis.
The President, in his telephone
conversation with Whitney and
Johnston, had asked they delay the
strike for five days and come to
Washington today for further ne
gotiations with the carriers. He
felt, he said, further talks might
be rewarded with an agreement.
A spokesman at the office of the
Trainmen's union in Cleveland said
Whitney had made proposition to
delay the strike if Mr.. Truman
could assure the Brotherhoods of
further concessions and that the
postponement would not be vio-
lation of the Smith-Connally act.
Mr.. Truman gave these assur-
ances, the spokesman added.
The postponement was made
public almost simultaneously in
Washington and Cleveland a few
minutes before 4 p. m. EST.
The development caused consid-
cradle confusion in the Eastern