Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-25
England Worried Over Coming
WaIkout of Coal Miners.
AGREEMENT NOT LIKELY
Movement Is Believed to Have Deep
Political Significance.
SOCIALISM RAMPANT IN WALES
Practically All of the Leaders in
Trouble Are Members of the
Party.

Special Cablegram TO The Star.
LONDON. February ai.-The coal strike.
which Sir Edward Grey recently called
1.-THE greatest national disaster in our his
tory" Is now only a few days of. Moth
ing has been done to prevent 1t. and
nothing can be until Tuesday, when the
miners leaders and the cabinet ministers
will meet again. On that day the strike
begins in some districts of pcrbyshire
and Nottinghamshire. The great mass OF
the miners cease work at midnight We'd
nesday
Very little hope is left that the govern
ment will be able TO accomplish anything.
What the cabinet ministers think OF the
prospect is well indicated by Premier
Asquith, who yesterday had extra guam
titles OF coal delivered at his house.
That the movement is more than 4.
strike for a minimum scale of wages.
that 1t is. in fact, political movement OF
the deepest and most radical significance.
is the declared opinion not only OF tho
mine owners, but of the leaders OF tho
miners.
Vernon Hartshorn. the South Wales
representative on the miners national
executive committee, says over his own
signature:
Ready to Put Up Fight.
1--WE are ready to put up fight for our
rights of such nature as will stagger
humanity We have not taken national
action lightly, and we cannot under any
circumstances allow the men to be beaten.
"The federation is in reality lighting
not only it's own battle, but the battle OF
British trade unionsm. We are entering
upon a new era and | do not think
1 am far from the truth when l say that
the outcome of this struggle VIII not
only decide the fate of governments and
parties but will settle the destinies OF
the working classes of this country
eff the coal owners meet our demands
the future social progress or this country
may proceed on lines of peaceful evolu-
ton; if they do not, II they hold out
in the hope of staying the advance of tho
workers and defeating the miners feder-
alton In pitched battle. We must be pre-
pared for an upheaval which will swiftly
| take away from the coal owners the right
to exercise despotic power over the lives
OF miners and their families. or. indeed.
to impose any terms at all. We are on
! the eve of great things"
Wales Storm Center.
Socialism is rampant in Wales which
is the storm center of the trouble. and
practically all of the strike leaders arc
socialists. Robert Blatchford. author OF
1.-The Merrie England" writing in tho
Clarion, says:
This strike is almost on us. 1t will
shake the nation to its roots. but il il
not the last strike; it is not the biggest
strike. Every year the army of organ
lied labor increases in numbers AMI
grows sterner and harder I'm its demands.
We cannot lock up the British people; Va
cannot shoot the British people: we call
not drive 6We,0W or 1.Vo.Ooo men -
work as slaves. What can we do:
1t, .avffC i.atf
as an Englishman and human being.
and I say deliberately that the wor>-
enemies of the classes are those who arc
egging them to stop by violence o.
laws or arms the inevitable evolution OF
democracy i'm this nation
Kerr Hardie. NJ. p, and other leadcss
are uttering opinions equally radical and
violent. Ben Tillett, on behalf of this
executive committee of the Dock and
General Workers Union. has issued u
manifesto wherein he says:
1.-The transport workers have interests
in common with the miners, and l am
trustful that we may be brought closer
together. SO that the transport and other
trades most concerned with manufac-
turers may have power to strike blow
for the rights of labor.
Called a Glass War.
This is class war. the wickedest the
capitalists have as yet brought about,
but 1t should be "A lesson to the whole
of the trade union world to fight the
wolves. not with shecplike patience, but
with vital strategic wearons as potent
as the combined forces of the capitalists
may be able to bring into the field"
The transport workers are pledged To
handle no foreign coal. Trouble is brew
ing in the coal fields of Germany. France
and Belgium.
become republic and seen socialists
obtain the largest number of seats 90
any party in the German reichstag may
yet see even in this seat of the British
empire events no less stirring or sig
nificant.