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Show HEWS REVIEW OF CURRENT EVEHTS Indications That Union Labor May Get the Worst of the Great Steel Strike. SENATE STARTS AN INQUIRY Many Workers Said to Be Returning to the Mills Status of the Peace Treaty Contest D'Annunzio's Raid Precipitates Crisis in Italy. By EDWARD W. PICKARD. Developments of the week in the great strike of steel workers indicated that this, perhaps the severest test to which union labor in America ever has subjected itself, would result adversely adverse-ly to the unions. At the beginning many thousands of men in the United States Steel corporation's corpor-ation's numerous plants scattered throughout the country quit work, regardless re-gardless of whether or ,,iey were members of the uu'ris. W. Z. Foster, general orgi.uizer, claimed that 342,-000 342,-000 hnfl fr' ne out before the week was half over. This was not directly disputed dis-puted by the corporation officials, but they declared the tide already had turned and that the men were coming back to the mills in large numbers seeking their old jobs. A great many of the plants were closed down at the beginning of the week, but in some of the districts these were being reopened gradually with increasing forces of workers. In the Pittsburgh district the employers asserted they were increasing in-creasing production in all the important impor-tant plants; the Gary and Indiana Harbor mills resumed partial operation opera-tion ; the strikers at Canton, 0., and Birmingham, returned to work. On the other hand there was virtually a complete tie-up in the Mahoning valley, val-ley, the Colorado district and at other points. Though the union officials had declared de-clared the strike would be conducted without violence on the part of the men. rioting started promptly in some regions, especially in Pennsylvania. Several deaths and many injuries resulted. re-sulted. The state constabulary got into action promptly and effectively, breaking up all assemblages and in general restoring order. Sabotage was in evidence in various plants. The strike lenders were earnestly endeavoring to expand the strike into a walkout ot allied crafts, which include in-clude the men in 25 unions. On the Great Lakes it appeared likely the seamen sea-men arid marine firemen who transport trans-port iron ore would go out, and switchmen switch-men on railroads that especially serve steel plants were reported to be ready to quit. The senate committee on education and labor began an inquiry into the strike and the first witness was John Fitzpatrick. chairman ot the committee commit-tee on organization ot the steel workers work-ers and real leader of the strike. It was announced that Mr. Gary would appear before the committee later to present the case for the employers. Fitzpatrick admitted to the committee commit-tee I hat there had been no demand from t lie steel workers for unionization, unioniza-tion, but that the Federation of Labor considered it necessary because the steel industry was a "bad spot" in t lie industrial situation and that the conditions con-ditions prevailing in it led other lai-'e employers to consider Imposing sini-i'ar sini-i'ar conditions on their employees. He told at length of the vain efforts to induce in-duce Mr. Gary to confer with his committee, com-mittee, and said that even if the steel corporation should now consent to meet the union representatives it would be too late to stop the strike, es the men "are going to demand decent de-cent justice of tlie United States government." gov-ernment." However. Fitzpatrick said. the nnions would call off the strike if tlie Heel corporation would agree to submit sub-mit the issue involved to arbitration by a commission to be named by President Wilson. When this was told to Mr. Gary in New York, he replied that, speaking for himself, he believed the board of directors could not negotiate with Fitzpatrick and his associates as union labor leaders and that questions of moral principles, such as are involved in-volved in this struggle cannot he arbitrated ar-bitrated nor compromised. Samuel Gompers, testifying before the senate interstate commerce committee, com-mittee, gave the steel strike his approval ap-proval though he said he would have preferred to have postponed it until after the industrial conference in October, Oc-tober, lie laid all the blame for the strike on Mr. Gary for his refusal to ' deal with the union chiefs. As a matter mat-ter of plain fact, the whole contest hinges on the question of the open or the closed shop and its outcome will go far to determine the power and right of the unions to organize industries indus-tries that have not asked such action and to enforce their closed shop policy pol-icy everywhere. Mr. Gompers also appeared before the senate committee on the District of Columbia, where he maintained the right of policemen to organize, but said they should not go on strike. "Private "Pri-vate employees" he said, "can quit work, while policemen have no such recourse." At the same time he defended de-fended the policemen of Boston by asserting that the trouble there was not really a strike-but a lockout. As for the constabulary of Pennsylvania, he declared the events of recent days have proved they are nothing but Cossacks, Cos-sacks, and they would not be admitted to the Federation of Labor. The resentment of the public, which of course is always the "goat" in industrial in-dustrial disputes, Is being reflected in congress. Senator Thomas of Colorado Colo-rado leads the fight in the upper house against tyranny by union labor, and last week introduced a resolution condemning con-demning the closed shop principle as un-American and calling for the repudiation repu-diation by congress of the special immunity im-munity it has granted to labor unions from prosecution for violation of the anti-trust laws. In the lower house Bepresentative Cooper, who is from the Youngstown district and is himself him-self a union labor man, uttered a warning warn-ing against the danger of organized labor being misled by such a "revolutionary "revolu-tionary leader" as' William Z. Foster, secretary of the steel worker's committee. com-mittee. Foster is the author of a book on syndicalism and secretary of tlie Syndicalist League of North America and in his book defends tlie syndicalist syndical-ist methods of violence, sabotage and lawlessness to win strikes. Congressman Congress-man Kahn of California, asked Altor-ney Altor-ney General Palmer if Foster could not be prosecuted in connection with deaths and injuries caused since the steel strike began, but Mr. Palmer said he thought any such action should be brought by the various states rather than by the federal government. Mr. Gompers and other "conservative" union un-ion labor leaders must enjoy their close relation with Foster and his like. If anyone supposed President Wilson Wil-son would compromise wilh the reser-vationists reser-vationists concerning the peace treaty, lie seemingly was mistaken. The president, pres-ident, on his way back from the Pacific coast, delivered himself of speeches that showed his spirit was, if possible, more uncompromising than ever, and he lather plainly intimated that if the pact were not ratified as it stands he would pigeonhole it for the present and make it I he Issue of next year's presidential campaign. To his audience audi-ence in Cheyenne be said if the proposed pro-posed reservation to article ten were adopted by the senate he would regard re-gard it as rejection of the whole treaty, trea-ty, and that it would mean the negotiation nego-tiation of a separate peace with Germany, Ger-many, which would turn the whole world against us. lie predicted that without the League of Nations covenant, cov-enant, including article ten unchanged, the world would be plunged into a war far more horrible than the conflict just ended. Mr. Wilson also continued to defend the arrangement by which the British Brit-ish empire has six votes to one for the United States in the league assembly. The proposed amendment to this article ar-ticle was causing both sides in the senate- considerable worry, and they dodged a vole on It for the time being. The proponents of the covenant wanted want-ed to wait until after the president returned re-turned in the hope that he might be able to bring some pressure to bear. and the opposition were not at all sure of their strength. The mild reserva-tionists reserva-tionists hoped some way might be found to avoid tlie direct issue. The French chamber of depulies, in which the government was pressing for ratification of the treaty, was much exercised by .the hostile attitude of the American senate and the government govern-ment was called on for explanations. Tardieu said he was satisfied the senate sen-ate would ratify tlie treaty, and Piclion said even without the United States the League of Nations could exist, legally le-gally speaking. Barthou replied that France wanted political, not legal guaranties. Premier Clemonceau then said: "Should the United Slates reject the League of Nations, two treaties of alliance between France and Great Britain and France and (he United States exist. Nevertheless it was precisely pre-cisely because we felt that the League of Nations was an insufficient guarantee guaran-tee for some years to come that these treaties were drawn up. The League of Nations for the present has nothing to do with the Franco-Britisli-Ameri-can treaties, which constitute sufficient suffi-cient guarantees for France." Italy was in the midst of a tremendous tremen-dous crisis, brought on directly by Ihe seizure of Flume by D'Annunzio and blamed by the Italians themselves on the great powers which refused to carry car-ry out all the promises in the treaty of London. Foreign Minister Til tool was compelled to resign, and the peace conference in Paris was deeply concerned con-cerned by the situation. The Italian government asked the allies to oust D'Annunzio and his followers, but at this writing nothing in that line had been started. Tlie poet-soldier was still defiant and his forces were increasing in-creasing in strength. Other Italian leaders, it was reported, were following follow-ing his example and making raids on Spalato, Sabenico and Trau. towns on tlie Dalmatian coast which have been under the domination of the Jugoslavs. Jugo-slavs. In Ragusa, near the Montenegrin Montene-grin frontier, there was a veritable reign of terror. There are rumors, also, al-so, that the Italians are planning to restore King Nicholas to the throne of Montenegro. He is the falher of the queen of Italy. Late advices from Spalato by way of Copenhagen said an American 'destroyer 'des-troyer appeared at Trau and landed marines, compelling the Italians to leave, after which the -Tugo-Slavs took over the town from the Americans. Ameri-cans. Officials of the state department at Washington admit that the president lias agreed with the allies on a plan to give support to Kolchak and Denl-kine Denl-kine in their fight against the bolsheviks. bolshe-viks. The United States is to supply the former wilh the things he needs, and Great Britain and France will take care of tlie latter. Presumably this arrangement means that the American troops now in Siberia will not be lirought hack for some time. Both these Russian leaders have been scoring considerable success against the bolshevik! lately, and it may be the recognition of the Omsk government govern-ment by tlie allied powers will not be much longer delayed. The bolshevist government, while willing to make peace with tlie Baltic Bal-tic slates, is laying its plans to conquer the rest of its foes. Trotzky. speaking speak-ing recently ill Petrograd. said his armies ar-mies would continue their methods of beating their enemy singly, taking Kolchak Kol-chak first and then Denikine. "If Finland Fin-land wants war" he said, "it will be necessary to begin against her a campaign cam-paign of extermination such as hitherto hither-to lias been unknown to history." I.cnine. it is said, is anxious to be at peace with all the world. There was a report in Paris that he had been assassinated. If this were true Trotzky Trotz-ky probably would be more powerful than ever, and the peace he seeks Is founded on the destruction of his enemies. en-emies. Tlie king and queen of the Belgians are on their way to visit tlie United Slates. Before his departure Albert said he had much to learn in this country coun-try owing to tlie "excellent relations existing between capital and labor" here. Can it he that Albert was spoofing spoof-ing us? |