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Show IECUTIVES AND UNIONS PARLEY I PROPOSAL TO LEAVE ISSUE OF I SENIORITY TO ARBITRATION BY IMPARTIAL BOARD DISCUSSED I Both Sides Exhibit Friendly Attitude Toward Sug-gestion Sug-gestion at Suddenly Called Conference of Executives Ex-ecutives and Union Men in Effort For Rail Peace WASHINGTON, Aug. 12. (By the Associated Press) The proposal pro-posal that the seniority issue conceded to be the sole obstacle to the settlement of the railroaod shopcraft strike be submitted to arbitration arbitra-tion by an impartial tribunal, was discussed tonight by a conference of railroad brotherhood officers and railroad executives as a basis for ending the transportation tieup. , Although no definite agreement was said to have been reached at the conference con-ference which lasted for nearly three hours, both 6ldcs were said to have exhibited a "friendly" attitude toward the suggestion. MEET HARDING TODAY. The railroad executives already have an appointment to meet, with President Harding at 10 o'clock tomorrow to-morrow morning, when, lt was said. Mr Harding would be told of the new situation resulting trom the later negotiations ne-gotiations in order that he might proceed pro-ceed from that point with his policy of mediation. Lack of information as to the attitude atti-tude which would be taken by the leaders ot the striking shopmen toward the proposal was said to havo ! prevented the other union leaders from taking a definite stand It was expected that a report on the proceed- ings would be made as soon as possible pos-sible to B. M. Jewell, leader of the shopcrafts and his associates lo obtain ob-tain their views. j SI DDENI.Y CALLED. Representatives of the Association of Railway" Executives and leadt i Iho non-striking railroad labor organ- ' jlatlons met in a suddenly summo ! conference tonight which was understood under-stood to have been the result of Prcsi-dent Prcsi-dent Harding s renewed efforts to mediate between the carriers and th, tr shopcraft employes. In view of the announcement from the brotherhood Chiefs that, during their conference at the White House todav. they had , I promised to use their good oft Ices to find a basis for settling the striki H it was assumed that the meeting was fl designed to find a compromise ground which offered the possibility of acceptance ac-ceptance bv both sides The reported presence of Secretary of Labor Davis and of a practically solid representation from the leadership leader-ship of the brotherhoods additional addi-tional Importance to the meeting which was not entirely unexpected. Early in the day there wore imitations from official circles that President Harding would seek to bring the labor and management groups together. J By GEORGE R HOLMES International News Service. WASHINGTON. Aug 12. A desperate, des-perate, eleventh hour attempt to ke6p alive the negotiations for pence in tho railroad strike was in progress at th White House tonight, with President Harding tn consultation with both th" railroad workers anl railroad '"v- hc president's last minute efforts to avert nation-wide paralysis of th I countrv's great transportation systems were begun In mid-afternoon Immediately Immed-iately aftei the six federated shop-crafts shop-crafts on strike, had flatly rejected 1 his proposal for them to work, lcav-Ing lcav-Ing the railroad labor board to decide de-cide the contentious question of seniority. sen-iority. REMAIN VI CAPITAL The immediate result of President Harding s renewed ettorts at personal mediation was that both railroad executives ex-ecutives and brotherhood representatives representa-tives decided to remain in Washington Washing-ton Over night and tomorrow (Sunday) (Sun-day) will see renewed peace conferences confer-ences at the White House under Ov direction of Mr. Harding. I The shopmen turned down the Harding proposal In a short con, t I letter, in which they briefly stated that the terms proposed by the pr, -blent were entirely unacceptable. close on the heels of the shop-crafts' shop-crafts' reply, the representatives of (Continued on Pngc Two. SS TOPIC IContUWed from liire Onci the nine railroad unions not officially i on strike. Including the four broth-j broth-j srhOOdi, went to the White House and laid 'help case before Mr Harding In ,a conference that lasted for three ! hours. 1(1 ll'.MKNT li 1 CLAIM. They Informed him that the con-idltlun con-idltlun of rolling equipment on the railroads Was bad. and that their men could not and would not continue to operate faulty equipment under tho Ipuard of armed men who endangered their lives by careless handling of flre-i flre-i n rms Mr, Harding later turned tno brotherhood broth-erhood representatives ovpr to secre- tary of Commerce Hoover and Secretary Secre-tary nt Labor Davis ahd invited in the heads of the railroads With whom he has on appointment The brotherhood nvn i merpe, from b- White House shortly after six o'clock with the announcement that ; the " ere .remaining ov er In Wash Ington for a few days and awaiting he call of the president for further conference after he hnd In the meantime mean-time seen the railroad executives Leo Shoppard, president of Ihe Brotherhood of Conductors, acted as .-oe pokesman for tho brotherhood' t h n they camo from the White House, He declined to express in opinion as to the strike situation "Do you think then- Is a chanoS Ol peaceable adjustment?" he was asked. ask-ed. "GOd -lone, in His Infinite wisdom knows," was the reply. All I can soy,' Sheppurd Continued." Contin-ued." is thai the matter Is entirely in tho president's hands." OONFBtUCNCE ( OVUM ls For an hour after the union leaders left the White House the president continued his conferences with the railroad executives, who besides Cuy-ler, Cuy-ler, consisted of Howard Elliott. Northern Pacific, Hale Holden, Chicago, Chi-cago, Uurilngton & Qulncy; Julius ECruttschnltt, Souihern Pacific. W. Attcrbury, Pennsylvania; C. H. Mark-ham, Mark-ham, Illinois Central; A. H. Sndth Xew York Central, and W L Ma-bother) Ma-bother) Louisville & Nashville Cuyler merely announced that at Mi Harding's request they had decided de-cided to remain in Washington to- nighl and return to the White House Sunday and not to make public their, repl Asked .about chances for peaceful ;idjistment of the situation Cuyler morel) .shook his head, motioned with his thumb toward the president's office of-fice and said Mr. Harding had asked i them not to express any opinion con- rnlng the situation. The White House maintained to-1 night the same 3ilence it enjoined upon up-on -he spokesmen of the rallroids and the workers. |