Show I LAID DOWN THEIR TOOLS I GENERAL STRIKE OF MACHINISTS i MACHIN-ISTS BEGUN IN CHICAGO I II I Probabilities arc that a General I Strike of Machinists will Occur allOver all-Over the Country Chicago March 2himar Is on between I tho Inlei naiional Association of Machinists Ma-chinists and l tho Chicago Association I of Machinery Manufacturers As ii result re-sult of the failure to reach an agreement agree-ment last night at a meeting between representatives of the twq bodies to discuss Die Questions v In dispute the executive committee of the machinists association decided lo call a general strike of machinists in Chicago and tonight to-night practically every union and many nonunion machinists in this city laid down his tools Die only exceptions ex-ceptions being at the shops whlch have signed the agreement Members of the executive council have started for other cities to investigate Investi-gate the prevailing conditions and if I necessary to call out the machinists No strike however has as yet been reported re-ported outside 01 Chicago except In Columbus 0 where according to a telegram received today by President James UCounill Ai I union man lias quit work In obedience to orders from I the union President OConnell said today that the trouble had now developed into a life and death struggle for the union and there were possibilities of the I strike Including not only all the machinists ma-chinists but extending to all the metalworking metal-working organizations In the country which would affect nearly 500000 menThe men-The machinists In Canada are also under Die control of the International association and strikes according to President OConnell may also be ordered or-dered In thai territory A meeting of Die business agents of the material trades council which Includes In-cludes the unions In every line of metal workers In Chicago was held to day to discuss the situation and It i re 0 0 1 n stilted In si decision to support the machinists ma-chinists in all respects and to order sympathetic strikes at once wherever This that action was found necessary may Involve nearly 30000 men In this city alone The business agents expressed ex-pressed themselves confident that their action would be followed by the material ma-terial trades councils other cities At present no trouble is anticipated between the union machinists and the various railroads terminating In Chicago Chi-cago as on many of the lines grievances have already been settled |