Washington sentinel., 1898-07-09
NO

that requires us to keep our ships in
port. But, on the other hand, we can.
not afford to exhaust our present re.
serves OF fuel; and until the South
Wales miners resume their suspended
iaoors, the only available stock of suit
able steam coal is that which has been
accumulated in the Government wards.
fortunately, it never was larger than at
the present moment, so that there is as
little warrant for the amazing tale that
the heet cannot start for want OF coal as
for the other fable that it may be needed
at any moment for operations of war.
A token OF the narrowness of
spirit which can be imported into the
consideration OF such topics was fur
nshed by suggestion that the Admir-
atty was suspected Of wishing to "heIp
the owners" Mr.. Goschen repudiated
the imputatlon with proper spirit, and
1t is pleasure to remark that it received
no countenance from any Welsh mem
Der.
DaiIY Characterization, June II.
The Government, it appears, will
sooner let the navy go to the dogs than
carry out their part of the Cancellation
act, or raise a finger to secure the exc.
cution OF their contracts. The situation
as developed by Mr.. Goschen and Mr.,
RItchie between them does not admit of
two interpretations. The First Lord of
the Admiralty permitted the shipbuild.
ers to lock out their men without pro.
test last year. He could, without doubt,
have enforced the execution Of Govern
ment work. But he elected, purely in
the interests OF the engineering firms,
and a9 alnst the interests of the Empire
and OF his own department, to do moth
ing, And then he came down to the
House in the spring with the intelligence
that the naval programme was behind
hand to the extent of two millions ster-
ling. His colleague Mr.. Ritchie's per-
fornance was of genuine service to the
employers, but it did perhaps less than
nothing to bring about a settlement.
And now, having thrown away the start
in naval construction, Mr.. Goschen tells
the country that there are to be no naval
manoeuvres this year on account of the
labor troubles in South Wales. The
Admiralty, it appears, cannot go into
the market and buy stocks but they
must depend on what IS turned out week
by week and day by DAY. That is Mr..
GOschen's confession, and it will be
read with lively interest in a good many
quarters Of the globe, Hence
forth, when the trade and the defences
Of the country are imperilled by a LABOR
dispute we are to have the comfort OF
knowing that the Government will make
a note it. II there were any states
manship or patriotism in the Cabinet
we should hardly have been reduced to
this negation Of all government. AS it
is, Mr.. Goschen and Mr.. Ritchie be-
tween them are driving straight tor
anarchy, or else for compulsory arbitra.
tion.
Morning AdVeyEiSsy--L ondon, June s1.
Mr.. Goschen. in reply TO a question
by Sir E, 7, Gourley, explained the
reason of the step which has been taken
IN abandoning the ordinary naval
manHuvres for this year, and he alter
wards added certain items to his original
statement, IN answer to various supple.
mentary questions. The matter really
lies in a nutshell, and il is difficult to
see how the Admiralty could have acted
otherwise under the circumstances To
suggest, as Mr.. w. Redmond seems to
have done, that the resolution come to
might be regarded as IN the interests OF
the coal owners is more than foolish
AS Mr.. GosChen very properly said, ne
would be UNIV orthY Of his place at the
Admiralty If he allowed himself to be
swayed by the interests of one class or
the other. That the labor disputes are
lamentable everyone wall be ready to
admit, and 1t is a most unfortunate thing
that so soon after the engineering strike
whose direct injury to national inter-
ests has been so vividly displayed in the
mischievous retardatiOn Of the pro-
gramme ofshipbuilding and naval works
| the country should be confronted with
another struggle between employers and
employed. But the Admiralty have to
look at thing as they are, and not as
they ought TO be, and the distinction
which Mr.. d. Thomas strove to indicate
between a "strIke" and a "lock out, 4"
even if it were genuine one, would not
alter the case. Mr.. Goschen
laid stress on the point that no stock OF
coal is held by the colliery owners and
coal merchants. Without desiring for
a moment to look at foreign affairs
through alarmist spectacles, is at least
clear that this is not a moment when
any shortage in the vital necessity of a
modern fleet could be contemplated
with equanimity. But that the whole
is one which raises many serious ques-
tions for the future cannot be denied.
1t Is yet another illustration Of the evils
which flow from labor disputes. Unhap-
PLY, it is far easier to see the dangers OF
these suici dal contests than to detect
any royal remedy.
Stamps Must BE Used.
Under the war revenue law stamps
will be required as follows: On all oTdi-
| nary checks two cents. demand hank