The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-09
ENGLAND ASS|NG
THROUGH CRISIS
Shipping and Industry Threat
ened in Most Alarming
Manner.
GOVERNMENT CRITICIZED
Heroic Efforts to Outclass Every
Nation i'll Strength of Sub
marine Fleet.
BY PHILLIP EVERETr.

II
Especial Gable 10 The Times-Dispatch.
London. September Sit Is a yer,
serious crisis England is passing
through at present. The havoc wrought
~ the great strike of sailors and fire
men during the coronation is as moth.
ng compared to the great strikes OF
lockers and railroadmen that follow,
cd. and which ended in victory for tn.
workers. out of this victory arose
the present situation which threaten:
| British shipping and Industry IN Tho
| most alarming manner
The demand for higher wages is Xix,
an epidemic among the British work
ers. who. encouraged by the success.
of the recent strikes. with enthusia SIN
stop the industries in which they are
employed. and with evident JOY attack
policemen and oppose the troops.
With unconcealed Joy certain par
OF tho German press has watched re
cent events r England. country
which for years has been Germany's
only dreaded rival. and which only a
few weeks ago prevented her from
humiliatinS France. The strikes havf
revealed TO the world the weakness:
OF the British empire. and never again
the German lingo press announces Il
the German lingo press announces, /.
be intimidated by the British lion.
But also in another less sensa tiona
part of the German press is there re
joicing. The papers in the great in
dustrial centres of Germany are jubl.
liant because the strikes are sappins
the strength of British industry
which already had all II could do &c
hold its own In competition with the
Germans.
In ha Ia tiaA 2rty tel
industry has been gradually forced to
the wall everywhere by the smart
energetic, frugal Germans. who have
understood how to manufacture thous.
ands of necessary articles little more
elegant and cheaper than the English
1t will then be a very severe test foi
the British industry suddenly to have
to shoulder heavier burdens, not only
in the shape of higher wages but also
Of increased domestic freight rates.
Many are the captains of industry
in England. therefore, who hold that
Great Britain stands face to face with
q great catastrophe; that many fac
tories and corporations will lave 10
shut down. simply because they ere
unable to continue with profit under
, the new conditions
In EnglNh industrial circles the I..h-
eral government is being sharply criti-
cized because it did not Al once crush
! the strike tendencies with iron hand
Serious accusations Is-e raised against
the government because 1t, for party
| reasons, dares not oppose the Labor
party.
1t is n very great question, however
whether stern repris1ls would have
done any good. or II they would not
rather have tended to inc:etse The
calamity, It is very easy t. talk about
crushing" the workers by the use of
police and troops. but the results that
follow such crushing" on the psr5 OF
Il government are very seldom graft
tying.
That the condition IN England is
very serious anybody must acknow-
ledge. blu. the question s whether the
responsibility for the miseri,s must
not be sought anywhere than in the
love OF srumbling and :upicty of the
worksnGman. The sins % the past
many impartial observers hare VIII
ingly admit are TO blame 81. mos. or
the m!seres OF the present c:isis.
While all the rest OF the world pro-
crossed. England alone remained sta
tionary. especially industrially, and
permitted herself to be left hopelessly
Ear behind. In the modcrn race of in
dustrlal and commercial ompetition,
in which the Germans easily got head
and neck ahead of all other European
nations. England felt too proud to
take part. but remained satisfied In
living on her old traditions. Now the
scales are falling from our eyes, and
we are suddenly beginning to realize
that these, our old traditions, are DID
fashioned and worn out; that. like
China, we have been asleep on cur
little island, and the result is that
British industry. commerce and ship
ping are not strongly enough prepared
to meet the demands OF modern times
in regard TO higher wages.
This is the real crisis in English
economical life at present. and it is a
crisis which is OF the utmost serious
ness and Importance
Heroic efforts arc being made BY nc
British admiralty to outclass any
Der and efficiency of submarine yes
sells.
The mos, modern submarines : "
being built here. known Officially as
the 'E" class. displace 500 tons: they
are. in fac, though not IN name. small
cruisers, capable of travelling either
or the surface or under the water.
They are 17e feet long. with a maxi
mum breadth of twenty-three fcc; In
Tue oI'Elndl type OF submarine, the
speed both on and under tile waftr.
was slow, but AS a result OF tic CO.
| operation OF the admiralty with McssTs.
Vickers's Sons and Maxim, who have
been so largely responsible FOR many
OF the improvements in the design of
British boats. speeds have been in
creased. The new "E" class will be
able TO travel OIL the surface at fifteen
knots-as fast. In fact. as our swiftest
cruiser OF a few decades aso-whilo
beneath the surface the rate will 20
consdera bly, higher than has hitherto
been attained The "E" boats are
being given the most powerful engines
ever yet pun into submarines and
they are of new type using heavy oil
under conditions OF absolute safety.
There can be no repetition OF the DIS
astrous gas explosions which occurred