Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-19
BIG ENGLISH CITIES
ARE ARMED CAMPS.
Strike Situation So Crave Parliament
Does Not Adjourn--Business Becon-
ing StagnatGd--T Thousands Of Men
Are Now IdIe---More Riotiog.

London, Aug. 1S-Scores of thous.
ands of railway employees throughout
the United Kingdom are on strike To-
night and traffic everywhere is badly
disorganized.
The leaders of the Amalgamated So
ciety of Railway Servants declare that
100000 men, or nearly half the total
of employees OF the railways of Eng
land, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
have answered their call to stop work.
on the other hand the managers Of
the railways say these figures are
greatly exaggerated.
There is no method by which verb
ficatfon of either assertion is possible.
but the fact is patent that the rail-
way service all over the country is
completely demoralized. Never before
have the ministers of the British gov
eminent made such earnest efforts %
ward off a great labor war, yet tonight
they have been unable to stay a move-
ment that promises to entail incon-
venience, possibly misery to millions
of people.
London has the appearance of an
armed camp, for on all sides are to be
seen soldiers in khaki, rifles in hand
and lcaden bullets in their belts, while
from the dome of st. Pauls the en-
gineers are keeping in communication
with the general staff by photographic
signals in the day time and by cleo
trio flashes at night.
Undeterred by the failure of their
negotiations on Thursday to effect a
settlement of the dispute between the
railway managers and their men. the
whole of today again was spent by
Premier Asquith, David Lloyd George
the chancellor of the exchequer and
sydney Buxton, president of the Board
of Trade, in a fruitless conference
with the leaders on both sides of the
controversy. Mr.. Asquith is far front
we'll and went into the country Thurs
| day night to recuperate. but he came
in town to lend his aid.
An official statement issued at the
home office at late hour tonight say
ing the strike has developed all over
the country and produced a wide
spread though only partial dislocation
of the railway service It adds that as
far as its present information goes
over two-thirds of the railway men
remain at their posts and the eompa-
MES are receiving numerous applica-
tons for employment. The statement
notes the absence of serious disorders
and that the military authorities have
the situation thoroughly under con-
troll. It also refers to the settlement
of the London dock strike and says
there will be resumption in the I'M
leading Of cargoes tomorrow.
The statement concludes by an
ncuncing that Mr. Lloyd-George and
Mr.. Buxton still are endeavoring to
arrange an amicable settlement of the
railway trouble on fair terms.
According to the best available in
formation what jeopardizes the nego-
tiaticns is less the obduracy Of the
strike leaders than the intractability OF
the strikers themselves as manifested
through their provincial and local Sec
retaries The negotiations, however
will be resumed at the Board of Trade
tomorrow.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has
issued special prayer for cessation
Of the strike which will be used in al
the churches tomorrow and Sunday.
The present is an anxious moment
for the military heads who are ar
ranging tonight for a possible pro-
ionged campaign of the troops in Lon
don. All kinds of stores have been
requisitioned from Aldershot and de-
pots for food and forage will be es-
tablished in various sections around
the city.
Broadly speaking, the strike is most
nf n.
where many towns are completely
isolated and in the south of Wales. IL
is partly effective in the midlands' ous
has not caused trouble in the south
of England on only few OF the
irish railways have the men gone out.
The situation in Scotland is uncertain.
Edinburgh reports that a general
strike has been declared there but at
Glasgow the men have postponed their
decision until Sunday.
Miles of side tracks are filled with
idle engines and ears, and thousands
of miners have been thrown out of
work because the collieries cannot get
vans into which to load their coal.
London, Aug. 1S.-The fight between
the railroad companies and the strik-
ing union employees is on in dead
earnest today. Thousands have obey
ed the strike order and other thous-
ands have continued at work. The
companies are operating their prin-
eipal trains under modified schedules.
The government and the Board IF
Trade are continuing their efforts to-
ward peace but the old deadlock be-
tween the unions and the managers
appears TO have reasserted itself to-