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Show ALL UNIONS FACING CRISIS SEE DISASTER I SHOULD MINERS I LOSE STRIKE 1 Coal Workers Have Largest I Single Organization in Federation I GOMPERS IS ACTIVE ! A. F. L. May Collapse, Some j Say, If Big Union Is Crushed S BY B K REYNOLDS. International New- Service Stuff Cor- reioiidrnt. WASHINGTON. Mjch 2V As. H j President Harding and high officials of the United Btatei government stood quietly on the aide lines to-i to-i night a half million conl miners got I ready for one of the tnoit gigantic :-.trugKles between capital and organ.-! organ.-! Ized labor the country his ever wit- i i . Having abandoned all hope of IJ I bringing the coal opern... - an I leaders into any kind of a confer-j confer-j enee to head off the strike, sclied- t j uled for April !. federal offi. who I ordinarily ure called upon to act in I crises of this kind, h ive decided that 1 no action will he taken by the gov-crnment gov-crnment unless suspension of work In the central competitive fleldn leads I to an industrial and transportation j crisis or to outbreaks of violence I-almi b-idern h re look upon lbs forthcoming strike as the turning point in the development of the labor movement ir GOMl'I'RS TAKKS STAND They fear thnt the defeat ! I'nlted Mine Workers the largest sin- H j gle labor organisation In the country. I H will mean the ultimate crushing if H the American Federation of Labor H It Is because of this feeling that Sam- H uel Gompers has assured John L. H Lewis, president of the mine work- H ers, that the organisation will take i H its stand solid as the Hock of Oi- H ; hralt.tr. behind the striking miners H until their demands are granted. While officials do not anticipate H I that the big railroad brotherhoods will decide to support the miners ex- cept "morally" in tiic opening week of the strike, ir was pointed out to- I night that the alliance entered in'o between th two might lead ta tho fc two powerful groups uniting lo pre- I yent the defeat of the entire labcA movement. INJUNCTION DISCUSSED. Mthough the department of justice ejfl miners through tin .,nr-- if It shou d II appear the production of coal is beinvt I seriously impaired by the strike, t 11 , was the general ojiinion in labor cli r cles tonight thai there would be r. mA reo. tltion of the oci urr-ni i- of 1 '.' ' ' WM J when a strike orde- II John i II had been m tl,,. , at Indianapolis restraining the mlnei-s from laying down their tool If the government takes a limits step in the present strike. Lewis and Other officials of the I'nlted Mine ! jail rather than sgrei to recall tl. 1 strike ord-r. The officials are confident if they I H ' go to jail, they yv;ll arouse sympathy I H among organized workers throughout I I the country that will lead to walkoutt H In other Industry. thereby adding I tori e to their demands. i L ut si R1BI s BIT! rio Matthew Woll, vice president Of th" H I American Federation of Labor, rle-I rle-I i lared tonight that the alms of tho I mine owners in the present crisj ; were: l i Kirst to crush the union and thus H open the way to wage reductions and I complete employer autocracy. "Second, to profiteer on coul now-! now-! above ground and to maintain, If nut raise, prices of coal next full. "The mine owners unquestionably N ome a stoppage of mining for the next several mouths. Woll eald. j "They feel that after they ha. e j' ! beaten the workers into submission h they can dispose of their surplus and make up their loss of production un- I I der the idov fuvorable conditions for themselves." GOMPERS ISSAIIia OWNERS. Samuel Gompers assailed the mine operators for refusing to go Into wuge onferences vvl'b the miners -ind s.ij.i "If the mine owners thlnW thn have selected u moment of weakness among the workers for this vicious brazen breach of faith, they are se-rlously se-rlously mistaken. Labor stands unl' -ed and solid. H 'The United Mine Workers ire en- tied to the support of ill rig),-. ' V thinking mon and women and If my H observation teaches mo anything It H is th it the miners are going to hav" I the Hupport to which thoy are en H titled. As for the organized labor H movement It stands volb.l as Gibraltar H with the men whom the tyrannical H profiteering mine owners now seek to bclruy and to crush." GOVERNMENT MOVES. 1 The house labor committee wlli I meet on Thursday to consider a bill I offered by Congressman Bland. It--PObUoan, Indiana, to create a fsdi BH era) commission .to Investigate labor conditions in the coal mines. KB It was announced tonight that Sec-r Sec-r Starr Of Labor Davis would iss-ue a bBJ itatement lust before th" open'ng of Hj the strike, outlining the moves thf gV tne go,rrnnient has made to a?r: BgwJ the walkout- WM |