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Show Brotherhoods Claim Strike Situation Is Steadily Improving CHICAGO, April 11. Tho first important im-portant break in tho unauthorised strike of railroad employes, which started in the Chicago torminal district dis-trict nearly two woeks ago, occurred tonight at Columbus, when six hundred hund-red switchmen on the. Pennsylvania railroad voted to return to work tomorrow. to-morrow. In addition, five hundred engineers en-gineers and firemen, forced out of work by the strike, will return. Although there was no general movement back to work among the 10,000 men reported on strike throughout through-out the country, defections from the ranks of the Insurgents wore reported report-ed yeBterday and today in Chicago, Knnsaa City, in California and neveral other places, and brotherhood officers were confident that the peak of the strike movement was past. Loaders of the rebel walkout, however, how-ever, maintained that the strike was gaining momentum. 9 Freight Embarfloeo Lifted. In Chicago freicht emanrea hive been lifted by tho New York Contral and the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroads. In a number of important im-portant rail centers railroad employes have voted not to strike. Large sections sec-tions of the country still "K-ere virtually virtual-ly unaffected by the walkout, aotubly New Eng'and, southeastern states, tho northwestern and mountain state?. Passenger traffic wa3 affected very little, except In the New York area, where service Tna reported helcrw fifty per cent of normal. Fears of a food famino in New York City were allayed by the arrival of supplies over tho New ork Central and the New Haven ruads. Several thousand were reported report-ed on strike in eastern New Jersey and freight traffic was considerable hampered. hamp-ered. Crew Abandons Train. The crew of tho Chicago Express on the Erie railroads abandoned the train at Port Jarvia, N. Y., ninety miles from Now York tonight. Two hundred And fifty passengora were on -ha train. It wan announced from Washington that tho question of povernmont action in the strike would bo taaen up by Attorney General Palmer 'upon his return to Washington tomorro-w. Reports Re-ports from the strike districts wore being be-ing assembled b7 tho department of I Justice. Five thousand men were af-ifected af-ifected by a wMkout of PennsylvAnia railroad switchmen, conductors and Ibrakcmen at the Pitt Cairn terminal ! tonight. Seven hundred switchmen on strike at Milwaukee voted today not to return to work. Tho Chicago, Milwaukee and Su Paul road declared an embargo on perishable freight. At Wollsville, O., 250 yardmen and roadmen went on strike today. More men were out In the Pittsburg region andlfJOO men quit at Peoria. In tho Cleveland district, where 2,000 were-H'eportcd on strike, blast mills and stcjel mills began laying off men. Qompers Declares Walkout Mistake Samuel Gompcrs, president of the American Federation of Labor, who arrived ar-rived in Cleveland today, declared the wcikout was a mistake and said the federation would support the brotherhoods brother-hoods in their struggle with the insurgent insur-gent strikers. W.G. Leo, president of the Brotherhood Broth-erhood of itailroad Trainmen, said he had received many reports from brotherhood broth-erhood chairmen throughout the country, coun-try, announcing improved conditions. Loyalty to the union was pledged by Cinc.nnati switchmen in a telegram to iS. E. Heberling, president of the ISwitchmens' Union of North America. Cincinnati was the only large Ohio city unaffected by tho strike. Four warrants for strike leaders, issued is-sued at Kansas City, Kansas, on request re-quest of Attorney General Hopkins, will bo Issued tomorrow. Antonio and other rail centers. Many of these communications report that more men are going oh strike. "There is talk of tho government taking a hand. If I havo lo do prison pris-on for anything I have done, it will bo for action in a right cause. I do not sec how they could put mo in prison, pris-on, though, I have not ordered you out and have no power to order you back You simply left your jobs because be-cause you weren't getting enough to live on." Warns Mgn Against Violence. Grunau warned the men to avoid violence. Other sepakers also urged pcacoful methods. ' Several speakers said the established unions were not giving their members a square deal, W. G. Lee, president of tho Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, boing singled out for criticism. The strikers also claimed they wero being troated unfairly by tho press. "They tell you that men are going Back in other places. They tell men In other cities thaht you aro going back," President Grunau said "Don't believe it." Speakers from rail centers in Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania said there wftj no freight moving In that part of the cftuntry. ? oo |