Show r r 1 f I RAIL HEADS SUMMONED BY WILSON R 0 V Sends Wire to Presidents o of f Principal Lines Asking Them to Come to Washington for Conference Ignores Managers PESSIMISM PREVAILS Employers Willing to Arbitrate All Before ns Any I n Tribunal T-ri- T i bunal banal White House or Men Name Will Not Treat Direct WASHINGTON Aug 17 In In case President Wilson finds that any of the railroad presidents cannot speak absolutely for their roads he may invite to the White House the financiers who control them Officials said today that the president wants to deal with the ultimate authority on both sides rides in order that negotiations may be conducted here I sho should ld not lik like to say that the situation still is hopeful A. A B. B Garretson spokesman for the said today Hope Hopeful ful is hardly the word that I use I would say though that I deem a settlement still possible V WASHINGTON ASHINGTON Aug 17 President President Wilson today invited I the presidents of the principal railroads of the country to come to I Washington immediately to confer with him on the threatened railroad strike Pending their arrival he does not pl plan n to see the committee of managers here with wh whom m he has been meeting The president sent the following telegram to tl the e leading railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road presidents Discussion I of the matt matters rs involved in the threatened railroad strike has reached a point which makes it highly desirable that that I Ish should sh uld personally confer with you at the the- earliest possible moment and with the presidents of any other railways affected who may be immediately access accessible ble Hope you can make it convenient to come cometo cometo cometo to Washington at once The feeling prevailed that the attitude of the railroad head heath was now the same as the managers' managers committee The railroad presidents are expected expected- to make a strong plea for preservation of the principle of arbitration and and will express th their ir fear that if the present difficulty cannot be settled without it there is little hope of its being successful in the future Another indication of the delicacy of the situation was seen in inthe inthe inthe the decision at the White House not to ma make e public pub the pr presidents president's remarks to the men at this at-this this time at least It was first intended to publish the presidents president's statement and then his hiis statement to the managers managers mana gers thus laying the case before the high court of public opinion I Demands Are Refused The presidents president's action in asking for forthe forthe forthe the conference with railroad presidents themselves is interpreted as meaning that the managers' managers committee had refused re rep fused finally to concede the hour eight-hour day as the presidents president's plan proposed and the qu question stion now is to tobe be taken up with the heads of the railroads themselves The situation as it stood today was this The railroads flatly refused to concede the hour eight day but are willing to arbitrate that question and andall andall andall all others before any tribunal the president or the men may decide upon The men are willing to arbitrate somo some questions under certain conditions conditions conditions condi condi- and are unwilling to arbitrate others This afternoon at 3 o'clock the president will wUl present his plan to the full committee of In Inthe Inthe inthe the hope of getting them to approve it The result will be presented to the railroad presidents l later ter Chambers Sees Judge Chambers of the federal board of mediation and conciliation held a brief conference with the brotherhood heads this morning Further than to say he had one question on which he wanted a definite answer and that he got it the conferees would not discuss discuss discuss dis dis- cuss the nature of his visit Mr Chambers went to the White House immediately upon leaving the brotherhood brotherhood brother brother- hood officials Some of the leaders of the men were planning to meet the demand of the railroad managers for arbitration by insisting to President Wilson that seventy-five seventy more lines for which the railroad managers contend they have no authority to speak be included in the negotiations In that way an old dispute between the managers and the brotherhood officials officials of of- would be opened and probably would result In an inquiry enquiry Into the ownership and control of the lve roads in question will prove the em em- representatives insist that the larger railroads for which the managers man man- agers are acting control the majority major major- J ity of the smaller lines Early this morning Secretary Tu telephoned to Daniel Willard president of the Baltimore Ohio reo re re Continued on page 8 8 S Q qs REFUSE r d from page 1 I garding the tho invitation to the railroad presidents to come to the White WhiteHouse House HouS and l 1 said that he would do everything possible to arrange arrange arrange ar ar- ar- ar range a it conference Those Invited President Wilsons Wilson's invitation was sent to the following railroad presidents presidents dents Daniel Willard Wilard Baltimore Ohio Samuel Rea flea Pennsylvania Fairfax Harrison larrison Southern railway Samuel M. M Felton Fellon Chicago Great Western George W. W Stevens Chesapeake Ohio William Sproul Southern Pacific Pacific Pacific Pa Pa- L. L F. F Doree Delaware e e Hudson Hudson Hud Hud- son W. W J. J Harahan Seaboard Air AirLine AirLine AirLine Line Howard Elliott New Haven B. B F. F Bush Dush Mi Missouri Pacific A. A H. H Smith New York Central F. F D. D Underwood Erie and William H. H Truesdale Lack- Lack awana E. E P. P Ripley Santa Fe R. R H. H Aishton Chicago Aishton-Chicago Northwestern A. A J Chicago Milwaukee St. St Paul J. J H. H Hustis Boston Maine NEW YORK Aug 17 The The railroad presidents of the country have bave acCepted accepted accepted ac ac- ac- ac President Wilsons Wilson's invitation to visit and nd confer with him in Washington Wash Wash- ington on the railroad cad strike situation situa situa- tion A number will leave heave this city for the national nati capital at 4 o'clock this afternoon and another delegation will leave from Chicago Those who will leave from New NewYork NewYork NewYork York are A. A H. H Smith president of the New NewYork NewYork NewYork York Central Frank Trumbull chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of the Chesapeake Ohio Benjamin Benjamin Ben Ben- jamin F. F Bush receiver of the Missouri Missouri Mis Mis- Pacific Hale Holden Hoiden president of the Chicago Burlington Quincy W. W W. W Atterbury vice president of or the Pennsylvania iv W. W J. J Harahan president president dent of the Seaboard Air Line W. W H. H Truesdale president of the Delaware Lackawanna Western Vester l L. L F. F Loree president of the Delaware Hudson E. E J. J Pearson vice president of the New York New Haven Hartford George Georg W. W Stevens president of the Chesapeake Ohio R. R S. S Lovett chairman of the Union Pacific Julius chairman of the Southern Southern South South- ern em Pacific and F. F D. D Underwood president of the Eric Daniel Willard president of the Baltimore Baltimore Bal Bal- ti nore Ohio who vho has often been spokesman for the tile railroad presidents On n other occasions have taken them to Washington is understood to tobe tobe tobe be on hi his way CHICAGO Aug 17 Presidents Presidents of five railways with headquarters in Chicago Chicago Chicago Chi Chi- cago left for Washington on the Broadway limited today in response to President Wilsons Wilson's call They are W. W J. J Jackson Jaclson Chicago Eastern Illinois Illi hill nois C. C II H. Markham Illinois Central Central Cen Cen- H. H R. R Kurrle Kurrie Chicago Indianapolis Its lis fc Louisville M. M J. J Carpenter Chi Chi- dg cago Terre Terre Haute Southeastern Southeastern and R H If it Aishton Chicago North North- western SAN ANTONIA Tex Aug 17 Gen General oral eral Funston is not worried over the threatened railroad strike affecting the food supply for the army of regulars and militiamen on the border and in I Mexico l It was learned today that j en enough ugh rations for every man with I Pershing's command and in fact In r tho the whole department commanded ded by General Funston for sixty days and in iii some districts for ninety days are on hand This means full rations and if a of railroads of the country country coun coun- try should continue continuo two months it Is said the army would not have to stint in any particular on the food Should the emergency arise after sixty days and the trainmen refuse to I operate trains for military supplies it is believed enough men can be found in the army to operate a few special I trains to transport food supplies for the army I Beef on the hoor could be had In the border country and slaughtered II for use of the troops The special army I trains could be operated for vegetables bles flour and other food It is estimated eat esti mated that the food supplies now on I hand principally at San Antonio El EI Paso Brownsville and Columbus represent rep rep- resent an outlay of I |