Seattle: 1900-1920 -From Boomtown, Through Urban Turbulence ...

168 Part FiveInserted between two Seattle Star strike week front pages(from Thursday, 6 February and Saturday, 8 February) isanother of the rare strike photos. It was recorded onFriday, 7 February 1919, the second day of the GeneralStrike, by a photographer from the Webster & StevensStudio. The scene looks north on Seventh Avenuetowards a crowd of men (one woman appears on theporch, far left) that are lined up to either side of UnionStreet. A corner of the Dreamland Theatre—a favoritehaunt for labor-related assemblies and often noted inthese pages—is on the far right. The tower behind it topsthe Unitarian Church.wants to close the shipyards and throw[the workers] into the bay let him do so—and not a few will say ‘good riddance.’”Though the Times editors remainedcool, the paper’s Washington, D.C.,correspondent reported in his column,“Jermaine’s Dispatch,” that the strike“will mark the beginning of an effort ofthe radical elements to control Americanlabor. . . . Seattle is a stronghold ofRadicals [according to AFL leaders]. . .. If the radicals win on the Pacific Coasttheir control will spread.”One hour before he was to meetwith the GSC on 6 February to deal withemergencies, Mayor Hanson contactedthe state attorney general and Suzzallo,who were acting for Governor Listerduring his mortal illness. Hanson pleadedfor the National Guard’s intervention tosuppress the strike. Suzzallo, as head ofthe Washington State Defense Council,phoned the secretary of war to ask forfederal troops. The War Departmentdispatched the First Infantry Division toTacoma (where a sympathy strike wasanticipated) and Seattle; one battalionwent to Fort Lawton. Hanson thenbeefed up the police force, adding 600recruits, paying them $6.00 per day tothe disgruntlement of the regular force,whose pay was but $4.25. Then herecruited about 2,400 volunteer policefrom the university fraternities, theReserve Officers’ Training Corps, andcivic organizations, arming them withclubs and firearms, when they wereavailable.The GSC, just two hours beforethe strike began, became focused ontactical details: admitting Japaneseworkers to the unions in a participatoryrole (they would not be allowed to vote);setting up feeding stations; arranging for