The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-11
London Faces One of Most
Critical Situations in
It's History
WILL CALL MILITARY
FORCES IF NECESSARY
Labor Leader Compares Re-
volt to Coronation and
Declares it Corona
ton of Manhood

LONDON, AUG. l0.-I0ndon to-
night faces one of the most critical
situations in its history due to the
strike of dock and railway employees.
A famine In the midst or plenty Is
from so TO 500 per cent, out Of reach
OF the poorer classes. There are no
men to handle the thousands Of tons
OF provisions rotting On tbs wharves
blocked with held up by this
strike Aboard the ships are other
! supplies that must be had II the
wheels of industry are to continue 10
turn.
The military forces in the barracks
near London were augmented tonight
and orders given that the troops be
held In readiness to enter the city.
One hundred and sixty rounds of val
cartridges have been issued to each
a
The newspapers are already suffer
ing from Ii shortage Of paper. and
unless the dockmen reach d settle
ment several OF the papers Will be
compelled to suspend publication. The
Daily Mail came out to-day with only
eight pages, and the others p pers re-
duced their size correspondence.
The supply OF petrol Is about ex-
hausted tonight. Half OF ali the mo-
tor buses IN the city were Withdrawn
from service this afternoon and more
Will be idle to-morrow.
People Suffer As Ice MeIts.
Great suffering Is being caused by
the lack of ice. Thousands OF tons
are melting for want of
ton facilities, and the diminishing
supply is held at prices that are pro-
hibi,ive to the poor. The health OF
the city Is endangered sg the decay
ing meat and fruits aud much sick
ness due to that cause is already re-
ported.
Several outbreaks occurred to-day,
and each resulted i'm a clash with the
police. The situation In several dis
tricts IS critical.
The dockmen and railway men ana
their synpathizers are obdurate and
In no mood to retreat from their po-
sition even IN the event tina martial
law IN declared
The gravity Of the situation was
shown in the House OF Commons this
afternoon when Winston Churchill.
the home secretary. declared hat II
the strike e not settled to-day Il
would be necessary for the, govern
nent to take a hand In QuelIing tn
disturbances and supplying food.
Strike Is Spreading.
Not only Is the strike not settled,
but it Is spreading rapidly. The rail-
way n armen Of the Great West
ern. the Great Central and the South
eastern and Chatham railways Joined
the revol to-day. and hundreds OF
workn1en in other sections are ex-
pected to go out tomorrow. The FISH
market at Billings Gate and the vege-
table market at Covent Garden Will
he classd to- gnarrsaw~
G Tflet. the labor leader. deliv-
cred an address to the strikers at
Tower Hill to-day. in which he com
pared the present conditions to the
recent coronation, describing the
present revolt as the Coronation Of
Manhood" His e was followed
by the adoption Of a resolutin tina.
no strikers would return to work un-
til the demands OF the coal por.ers
the lighternen. the watermen. the
carriers and the men employed by the
port of London authorities had been
met.
The Rothsehilds' banking house
viii soon ave to discontinue the re-
timing Of gold bullion for the mint
unless a settlement is reached.
The situation in Liverpool Is fully
as acute rs that in London. There
were several serious outbreaks there
to-day.
The lord mayor has issued n warn
Ing h a the riot act will be enforced
II the situation becomes more Sc
rious.
London breathed easier this morn
ans ayer the prospect of a IS speedy ter
mination OF the great labor distur-
Dances which at one time YESTERDAY
planned to plunge the city into famine
and perhaps hloodshed. II was an
nounced after midnight this morning
that h carmans strike had been set
tied.