Evening star., 1951-02-02
Freight Delivery
Here NayBeCu
Sharply in Strike
Embargo Put on Mail;
a Contempt Actions
Brought Against Union
BULLETIN

The White House declared to-
day the railroad strikes are
directly injuring our national
security" and the Nation cannot
tolerate their continuance. Jo-
seph Short, presidential press
secretary. said President Tru-
man had authorized him to
issue the statement.
Sharp curtailment of freight de-
liveries to Washington and the
East was threatened today by en-
bargoes stemming from the rail-
road strike.
AS the wildcat walkour of yard
men continued to spread over the
Nation these were the effects.
l. A mail embargo was clamped
on 10 major cities. including
Washington and Baltimore.
knocking out most inter-city mail
service except first-class matter
weighing less than eight ounces.
2. The Government brought four
contempt actions against the
striking union. one in Washington
and another in Chicago. where
hearing was scheduled today.
Spreads to 40 Cities.
3. More than 10000 workers in
vital industries were made idle
throughout the Nation, as the
walkout spread to 40 cities and
directly affected A railroads.
4. Members of Congress called
on President Truman to appeal di-
rectly to the strikers in the light
of the national war emergency.
S. Passenger train service was
further confused here when rs
out of $50 Pennsylvania Railroad
road crews reported sick" Sew
eral trains have been Cancelled.
At Union Station, only one of %
switching crews reported for work.
Both the Pennsylvania and
Baltimore & Ohio Railroads an
nounced partial freight embargoes
which in time would seriously af-
feet traffic to the East of all
kinds of goods.
The B. & O. shut down move
ment of freight passing through
Chicago. East st. Louis and Ph.la-
delphia. and the Pennsylvania S
orders also affected Buffalo, Tren-
ton and New York switching dis
tricts. =
To Cut Car Unloadmgs.
While Washington's Potomac
Yards continued to function nor
mally. officials there agreed that
embargoes elsewhere would Sc
verely cut down car unloadings
! here.
The mail embargo came at 6
pm. yesterday after postal au-
thorities found parcel post and
other bulk mail piling up hope
lessly at major points.
The embargo was virtually the
same as that imposed in a pre-
Christmas strike.
In Washington. only first-class
mail under ounces. daily news
papers and emergency packages
of medicines. drugs and surgical
supplies will be accepted for out
of-city mailing. No other cities
in the Nation may accept other
than these for mailing to WASH
ington.
This also is true of Chicago, st.
Louis. Washington, Philadelphia,
Trenton. N. j.: Jacksonville. Fla:
New York. Atlanta, Ga; Cleve-
land and Baltimore.
No Restrictions on Air Mail.
The rest of the country is di-
vided into complex zones. between
which no restricted mail may pass.
But there are no restrictions
whatever on air mail or air parcel
post.
All cities including Washington
will continue to accept all mail
for city and rural delivery. and
to nearby points available to
trucking service.
The Washington ban also in
cludes such nearby points as
Alexandria and Silver Spring.
Although officers of the Brother
hood of Railroad Trainmen said
they were doing everything pos
sible to get the men back to work.
the Government started contempt
action against them in Washington,
Cleveland and Chicago.
In Chicago a hearing was
scheduled in District Court on an
injunction and contempt citation
(See STRIKE, Page A-3)