During his tenure the Brotherhood recovered from financial problems, weathered the Great Depression and World War II, and held out for shorter hours and higher wages in a nationwide strike in 1946.

[5] At the brotherhood's triennial convention in June 1924 the new office of President was created, and the former grand chief engineer Warren Stanford Stone was elected to this position.

[8] Around this time an audit found that the Brotherhood's cooperative bank in New York had about $1 million of "doubtful paper" and other investments were also in poor shape.

The executives decided to attempt a high-risk investment to make good the losses before the 91,000 union members learned of the problem.

[7] After some hesitations, they agreed to buy 30,511 acres (12,347 ha) of land in Venice, Florida, for $4 million, planning to develop it as a profitable resort.

[10] In March 1927 Prenter was warned by the Brotherhood's attorneys that "There has been no estimate of the amount needed for expenditures in the Florida venture ... no provision that it is properly financed."

At the triennial convention in Cleveland on 6 June 1927 the delegates learned of the mismanagement and losses and threw Prenter and other members of the executive out of office.

[12] In the spring of 1929 industrial production began to decline in the United States, signalling the start of the ten-year-long Great Depression.

[15] In October 1932 Johnston was a member of a Presidential committee that endorsed President Herbert Hoover's New Deal program to stimulate the economy, and called for additional spending on public works.

In 1950 he endorsed Senator Robert A. Taft, co-author of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, for reelection, citing his opposition to Truman and to communism.

[18] Truman felt betrayed, writing on 17 May 1946 "Lewis, Whitney, Johnston, Murray and all other labor leaders made me certain promises when I took over.

[8] The strike stranded travelers, prevented movement of perishable goods and caused concern that many people in war-devastated Europe would starve if grain shipments were delayed.

[23] Truman broadcast an appeal to the strikers to return to work, saying "It is inconceivable that in our democracy any two men should be placed in a position where they can completely stifle our economy and ultimately destroy our country."

[8] On 25 May Truman was addressing Congress, calling for drastic anti-strike legislation, when word came that the strikers had accepted his terms and the strike had ended.