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Show PRESIDENT TIKES HANDJNJTROUBLE WILL ENDEAVOR TO PREVENT STRIKE OF TWO MILLION RAILROAD WORKERS. Leaders of Railroad Workmen Flatly Reject Arbitration, But Are Will-ing Will-ing to Talk Matters Over With the President. New York. A general strike on virtually vir-tually all the railroads of the nation, paralyzing commerce and throwing approximately 2,000,000 men out ot employment, can be averted only through the good offices of President Wilson, as a result o latest developments develop-ments in the dispute over the men's demands for an eight-hour day and time and a half for overtime. The controversy was laid before the president, at his invitation, after tha workers had flatly rejected any form of arbitration. They refused mediation media-tion also. The final break came late Sunday after the .men had been in secret session nearly six hours. Reports differ as to the reason for the failure of the negotiations in view of the cheerful outlook of the night before. The men assert they refused arbitration arbitra-tion because the railroads insisted on arbitrating their contingent proposition. proposi-tion. The board of mediators, in statement Issued Sunday night, declared, de-clared, however, the men rejected their proposition, contending that they -would not arbitrate even if the railroads rail-roads waived the contingent proposition. |