Raleigh, July 17—Governor Morrison today instructed Adjutant General Metts to order a company of soldiers to Rockingham, one company to Wilson, one company to Raleigh and the Durham machine gun company to report to Durham, the soldiers to be held in readiness at these points for possible duty in connection with strike of railway shopmen at points in this state.
“If order is not restored in a very short time, I shall order General Metts to put sufficient military forces in the town of Rocky Mount to restore order, uphold the law, and protect life and property,” declared Governor orison in a statement this afternoon. The Governor said he would order the troops now, but for the fact that an injunction had been issued restraining strikers from interfering with the operation of trains on the Atlantic Coast Line railway and that he felt marshals and other United States police forces could handle the situation.
“There are disorders elsewhere in the State incident to this strike,” said the Governor. “They must cease, regardless of the reason offered for such lawless conditions. I shall use every power the State possesses to restore order and to keep the peace everywhere in the State. I warn those who are engaged in this lawlessness and threats of lawlessness that they cannot prevail against organized society, and that if they do not at once come to order and conduct their cause with argument rather than with menace and violence, I shall throw all the military power of this State against them without further delay.”
The troops are now in annual encampment at Morehead City and will entrain for the cities designated immediately, General Metts said.
The troops to be sent to Rockingham would probably be used at Hamlet, a few miles away, those at Wilson, at Rocky Mount, and the soldiers at Raleigh and Durham would be used wherever they were needed, it was stated at the Governor’s office.
From the front page of The Charlotte News, July 17, 1922
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