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Show ful wreath. It was a fitting incident of Roosevelt week, during which hundreds hun-dreds of thousands of dollars were contributed by admirers of the great American for the purpose of establishing establish-ing memorials to bim. President Wilson stirred up a mighty hullabaloo by his veto of the dry enforcement act on the ground that the emergency which called for wartime prohibition had passed and that the law should be repealed. For a few hours the wets were jubilant, believing that John Barleycorn had been given a lease of life until constitutional consti-tutional prohibition goes into effect in January. But the drys quickly got Into action and forced immediate action ac-tion in the house, with the result that the veto was overridden by a vote of 176 to 55. A large number of members mem-bers were absent, but postponement for this reason was refused and,'- indeed, in-deed, if the full membership had been present the result doubtless would gency requirements not specified above. 8. Producers of newsprint paper and plants necessary to the printing and publication of daily newspapers. Another plan of the government was to obtain from Federal Judge Anderson Ander-son at Indianapolis a sweeping injunction injunc-tion against the miners' organization and 88 national and local officers, forbidding for-bidding the "encouraging of the strike by word of mouth, book or pamphlet" and prohibiting the use of the organization's organi-zation's funds for the promotion of the strike. Violators of the injunction would be punished for contempt of court. The mine operators promised the government their unreserved co-operation in its efforts to keep the mines open. Confidential reports from government gov-ernment agents had led to the belief that a large number of the union miners would not strike and, in addition, addi-tion, it was estimated that the non- NEWS REVIEW OF CURRENT EVENTS Coal Miners Insist on Strike and Big Contest With the Government Gov-ernment Begins. DRASTIC MEASURES ADOPTED War-Tfcne Priority List Is Re-Estab. Ilshed for the Distribution of Fuel International Labor Conference Confer-ence Opens Congress Overrides Over-rides President's Veto of Dry Enforcement Act. By EDWARD., W. PICKARD. The great struggle is on. The United Uni-ted States of America versus the United Uni-ted Mine Workers of America. A nation na-tion of one hundred and ten millions against a labor union of perhaps half a million. Boldly defying the federal govern, ment as represented by the president and his cabinet and the governments of many states as represented by their governors, the leaders of the union decreed de-creed that the strike of bituminous coal miners should go into effect at midnight Friday. Regardless of the fact that the strike would cripple the entire coantry and that the resultant suffering would be felt most by their fellow workers, they refused to do anything to head it off, falling back on their oft-repeated statements of its justice and on the assertion that, as it was ordered by a general convention of the United Mine Workers, no representatives repre-sentatives of the organization have authority to set such action aside. Immediately after the conference of leaders of the miners had issued its statement the government began to mobilize its forces to make good the promise of President Wilson that the mines should be operated. The cabinet cabi-net met in special session and definite plans of action were discussed and adopted. Meanwhile Dr. Harry Garfield, Gar-field, federal fuel administrator, had been summoned to Washington and steps were taken to revive the fuel administration ad-ministration to prevent hoarding and profiteering. Attorney General Palmer issued a long statement in which he made it plain that the strike was illegal il-legal and that the government had both the right and the power to crush it, "without infringing on the recognized recog-nized right of men in any line of industry in-dustry to work when they please and quit work when they please." The plans of the federal officials, it was said, include prosecution for conspiracy of those guilty of causing the strike ; armed protection for those miners who are willing to continue at work, and allocation and distribution of coal to railroads, essential industries have been the same. Next day the senate also passed the bill over the president's veto, the vote being 65 to 20. The act became effective at once and the country became bone dry until the treaty with Germany is ratified. rati-fied. As soon as that action is taken by the senate, according to a statement state-ment from the White House, the president pres-ident will lift the ban. This aroused both the Anti-Saloon league and the more rabid opponents of the treaty. The leaders of the former declared they would maintain the contention that the ban could not be removed until un-til the treaty with Austria and Hungary Hun-gary had been ratified. The latter attacked at-tacked the motives of the president and said he had delayed lifting the ban to force the senate to ratify the treaty. The liquor men found some consolation in a decision by a federal judge at Louisville that the wartime law is invalid and that the government could not seize liquor in storage without with-out paying for it. But the revenue agents went right ahead sealing up all the stocks of liquor they could find and they found most of them. No one on either side of the treaty fight in the senate would admit that the promise of a wet spell in the least affected the contest, but there was evident evi-dent a disposition to get through with the matter speedily. The rejection of all amendments cleared the way for the consideration of the reservations, and it was predicted that the same conservative Republicans who voted with the Democrats against the amendments would compel the adoption adop-tion of milder reservations than those reported by the committee on foreign relations. It will then be up to the administration supporters to accept these or stand responsible for the complete com-plete failure to ratify the treaty. The re-enforced red army defending Petrograd succeeded, by desperate fighting, in recapturing several towns and in forcing back the white army, but late reports from General Yuden-itch Yuden-itch are to the effect that he is recov- union mines could be counted on to turn out a considerable quantity of coal. Their annual production is about 180,000,000 tons out of a total of 500,-000,000 500,-000,000 tons. At the best, however, the production will be tremendously decreased and if the strike is prolonged pro-longed consumption must be reduced accordingly. In this process naturally the unessential industries will be the worst sufferers and it is easy to predict pre-dict that many thousands of them will be closed down and vast numbers of men and women thrown out of employment. em-ployment. President Lewis of the miners laid the blame for the situation on the mine operators and severely criticized President Wilson who, he said, had prejudged the case with only a partial and inaccurate knowledge of the facts. The union officials, while asserting as-serting they could not now stop the strike, left open one possible door by saying they were ready and anxious to meet the operators for the purpose of negotiating an agreement and bringing about a settlement. Later it was said the officials were ready to abandon the demand for a six hour day and five day week and to modify the demand for a 60 per cent increase in wages, if the operators would curtail if not abandon Saturday work and agree to a "moderate" wage increase. At Indianapolis it was asserted as-serted the extreme demands were put forward to satisfy a large radical element ele-ment that threatened to revolt against the Lewis regime. The international labor conference provided for by the peace treaty has assembled at Washington ; but, owing to the treaty situation, it is in doubt as to its own status. Secretary of Labor Wilson called it to order and welcomed it to the United States, but this country's official connection with it came to an end there. For the present pres-ent the conference was considered "in process of organization," and thus Mr. Wilson and other Americans were enabled en-abled to sit with the delegates from other lands. The conference asked the Federation of Labor and the Uni- and homes. Orders for proper disposition dispo-sition of troops went out from the war department ; in some of the coal mining min-ing states the National Guard was mobilized and in various communities steps were taken for the formation of citizens' committees to aid the authorities. author-ities. The first thing done by the government govern-ment was an order from Director General Gen-eral Hines to the railroads to confiscate confis-cate all coal in transit, if necessary, to operate the roads and build up a reserve. re-serve. Then the attorney general announced an-nounced that the fuel administrator would take control of the handling of the coal and would use his authority under the Lever act to meet the situation. situ-ation. In the distribution of coal the wartime priority list of the fuel administration ad-ministration is to be followed. This is as follows : 1. Steam railroads; inland and coastwise vessels. 2. Domestic, including hotels, hospitals hos-pitals and asylums. 3. Navy and army. 4. Public utilities, including plants and such portions of plants as supply light, heat and water for public use. 5. Producers and manufacturers of food, including refrigeration. 6. National, state, county and municipal mu-nicipal emergency requirements. 7. Bunkers and other marine emer- ieu Places namuer oi commerce to name delegates, and this was done. Thirty-one foreign countries were represented rep-resented by S3 delegates when the sessions ses-sions opened. The representatives from Germany and Austria w-ere due to arrive November 3 and the organizing organ-izing committee recommended that they be given early participation. The international congress of working work-ing women also opened in Washington with 40 delegates present and Mrs. Raymond Robins presiding. The women wom-en made it plain at the outset that they were not seeking any special privileges for their sex in industry, but that they demand full share in any plans for their protection that men may consider. An interesting interlude at Washington Wash-ington was provided by the visit of the king and queen of the Belgians. Albert was given an enthusiastic welcome wel-come by congress, and in addresses hefore both the senate and the house gave formal expression of the gratitude grati-tude of his country to America. The royal couple called informally at the White House. Before leaving the United Slates King Albert took occasion to make a pilgrimage to the tomb of Theodore Roosevelt and to lay upon it a beauli- ering the lost ground and that the offensive of-fensive is proceeding satisfactorily again. Finland announces that it is giving Yudenitch aid in the way of tanks and ammunition, but cannot send a regular expedition unless promised prom-ised certain compensating advantages. General Denikine's advance on Moscow Mos-cow also was checked by the bolshevik! bol-shevik! and, if wireless dispatches from Moscow are to be believed, there has been a serious revolt against him in the Ukraine. Large bodies of the troops of Petlura and Makhno are joining the reds and a number of important im-portant towns have fallen into the hands of the rebels. From the same source comes the story of another uprising up-rising against Denikine in the Caspinn region that cuts off his oil supply. It Is well to accept all stories from Moscow Mos-cow with reservation. Possibly in response to the wail of the Letts that the allies have not been giving them sufficient help in their fight against the Germans at Riga, the allied fleet in the Gulf of Riga has been re-enforced by some large warships war-ships and the positions of the Germans are under continuous bombardment. In the Baltic, it is said, there are 65 British warships which shell Kron-stadt Kron-stadt daily. These vessels also are enforcing the blockade of the bols'nev-ist bols'nev-ist coast of Russia ordered by the allied al-lied war council. |
