On May 9, 1934, maritime
workers of San Francisco went on strike against the shipping
industry in protest against what were described as poor working
conditions, unfair hiring practices and the refusal of the ship
owners to recognize other than company unions. The effect of
this strike was to effectively block the movement of all commodities
to and from the Embarcadero, with its 5 -1/2 miles of piers and
warehouses. The positioning of pickets was designed to physically
impede the goings and comings of the. strikebreakers. As time
passed, the situation deteriorated with more and more violence
building to a level that the Acting Governor, Frank C. Merriam,
ordered " a partial mobilization of the California National
Guard.
This call to duty, to preserve order and to protect State property
along the waterfront in San Francisco,' was issued at 1:00 p.m.,
July 5, 1934. By daybreak on July 6th, 700 Guardsmen, under the
provisional command of Col. R. E. Mittelstaedt, had established
full military control of the area. The Chief of Police, W. J.
Quinn, had agreed to the relief of his officers from this area
by the Guard for duty elsewhere in the strike worn city. In effect,
martial rule was established along the Embarcadero within the
area controlled by the National Guard. Although violence and
bloodshed had become routine previously, with control of the
area passing to the military, order was restored and maintained.
No standing groups were permitted; pickets on duty were ordered
to "keep walking," and those who refused were placed
under arrest.
Despite the fact that order had been restored along the waterfront,
the strike built up in its intensity until the climax was reached
on July 16, 1934, when a general strike was declared. As the
tempo of the strike increased, The Adjutant General, Seth Howard,
realized that more troops would be needed so he ordered to duty
additional troops of the 40th Division. Major General David P.
Barrows, Commanding General of the 40th Division, was placed
in command of the augmented Port Command which now included the
First Provisional Brigade, commanded by Col Mittelstaedt, consisting
of the 159th Infantry Regiment and the 250th Coast Artillery
Regiment, the 79th Brigade comprised of the 185th Infantry Regiment
and elements of the 184th Infantry Regiment and commanded by
'Brigadier General Wallace A. Mason; and the Reserve commanded
by Colonel Harcourt Hervey, 160th Infantry Regiment, which consisted
of the 160th Infantry Regiment less one battalion, and the 40th
Tank Company. Colonel Otto E. Sandman commanded the East Bay
Command which included elements of the 143d Field Artillery Regiment,
160th and 184th Infantry Regiments.
The general strike began to disintegrate with the return to work
by the Teamsters on July 20th and, on the 21st, the strike collapsed
completely. During the entire period of the strike, martial law,
although never invoked, was provided for with detailed plans
covering the military occupation of the city, developed for implementation
upon receipt of the Governor's order. Fortunately, the, situation
never became so severe that civil authority had to e superseded
by the military.
The vital role played by the Guard in this monumental labor dispute
was to protect life and property which, in turn, permitted a
more stable atmosphere in which the negotiators could meet. In
truth, a retrospective evaluation of the Guard's call to duty
during this emergency would 'be that it was welcomed by both
labor and employers alike.