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Show BE PREPARED- ; WASHINGTON. Sept. S. Definite arrangements to operate the railroads under the protection of the army In' case the trainmen stiike Is proposed In a statement Issued today by th Republican Publicity nncmri!"i through Its presld nt, Mini. Jonathan Bourne J. The-- I'-m-m ay- "The total u. p tat-aiit-ft with which we :ii:rftt ''. - war against Oermany cost the country billions of dollars and thousands of lives. Had pioper attention been paid to our national defenses In the years preceding pre-ceding the war we could haev entered tho battle line at art earlier date, and hi ought the war to a close sooner soon-er nnd at a far less on pond I Hire of men and money. Tlio country Is now confionted with a labor wnr which It nil tho threats of the labor leaders come tine, will bring with It even more distress and loss than the ren-fllct ren-fllct with the central powors. But tho lesson of preparedness thnt the nation learned at such terrible cost two years ago seems to ho passing unheeded un-heeded In tho fare of tho presonl ciislfl. "So far as the public Is nwnic tin President, true to his recoid Is takhu no uinsutcH whatever to provide ngninst the cntaslrophe that Impends On August 21st a statement was Issued Is-sued from tho Hallway Employees do- parlnient or the Federation of Labor giving the present status of the negotiations ne-gotiations with tho president for more pay. If n sttiko Is authorized,' reads that paper, 'and It becomes necessnry to strike to secure a Just settlement, the day, hour nnd other necessnry Instructions will bo Issued by the railway employes depnitment of tho American Federation of Labor.' La-bor.' Evidently tho men are still In a belligerent mood nnd icady to strike at tho drop of the hat. "Mr. Wilson has already replied to tho demands of the shopmen in a letter thnt practically rejects nil thnt they asked. That action may presage the position ho will take on tho ultl-inntum ultl-inntum of the four brotherhoods.. If those demands are rejected then the country may wnko up some morning to find Us transportation system paralyzed par-alyzed with all Its attendant calamities. calami-ties. What will Mr. Wilson do to nl- ilcvlato the suffering sure to result? 'Tho time Is short nnd such steps as appear feasible should bo tnken at ! onco. j "Army units should he distributed through the rnll centers whero trou- . bio Is most to be feared; tho personnel per-sonnel of the army should he exum- 1 Ind with n view to locating men with previous railroad experience who could run trains In nn emergency; stnte authorities should bo requested request-ed to ptcpare lists of men In their Jurisdiction competent to assist In the same way and who are not under tho control of tho brotherhoods; tho pub- ' lie should be warned In the event of l a strike to refrain from all unnecessary unneces-sary travel and shipmentH'of freight; -motor trains should be organized ready to sally forth at a moment's .notice to take the place of railroad equipment; In that connection tho government's immense stores or un-jused un-jused trucks should bo Immediately oveihauled and mndo ready for Instant In-stant serlvce. Thoso are but n few of means that readily, sucgest themselves them-selves for breaking the force of a rnll strike. Others can bo quickly conceived con-ceived by exports In rail and motor transportation. Yet tho Piesldcnt sits serenely In tho While Hoiiso, ap-I ap-I patently oblivious to tho Imminent danger that confronts tho nation. Let him wako up and fnce tho situation beforo It Is too late." |