New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-20
Who Governs England?
CRITICSING THE CABNET-THE LATEST WELSH MUTINY-THE
MINERS CASE-TFE THE CABINET-MINSTERIAL AU


cred; that no pledge is to be kept II
anything is to be gained by violating
it; and that any agreement TO which
they set :heir hands is but a scrap OF
paper. to be torn up as it suits their
convenience.
The Case for the Cabinet.
The other broad fact is that when the
Miners announced their treachery and
their journey to London 10 confer with
the President of the Board of Trade
he refused to see them; that they
nevertheless came; that Sir. Runciman
did see them; that he and Mr.. Arthur
Henderson, the Labor Cabinet Minister
and Mr.. Lloyd George, the Welsh Cabi-
net Minister, also saw them. These
three Ministers entered upon a new
series of negotiations, ending as they
were bound to end, in a new surrender;
and that the mems delegates, who call
themselves leaders, go back to their
German camp in Wales, again victors.
The humiliation Of the Government is,
for the second time. complete. Only
this time they do not think 1t worth
while to describe their defeat as vic
tory. Words have their value, but they
are not always a substitute for things.
IL will be seen that of the three
Cabinet Ministers who composed the
negotiating body two were men who
have ties Of sympathy with the rebel
Miners. Mr.. Henderson was invited TO
the Cabinet because he was Labor
Member of Parliament and the Parlia-
mentary leader of the Labor members.
Mr.. Lloyd George is no Englishman.
He is a 'Welshman, and the fervency
of his Welsh patriotism has been
avowed on hundred platforms. They
and Mr.. Runciman, an official with
purely official mind, were, for the pur.
poses of this dispute, Committee OF
the Government: They were a tribunal
before whom the Miners ringleaders
laid their demand. | do not dwell on
the peculiarly Of its composition. |
mean only to state the undeniable fact
that In controversy between the
Welsh Miners and the Ministry two
out of the three men who represented
the Ministry were predisposed in favor
Of the Miners. | do not doubt that they
honestly strove TO maintain the Minis
terial case. They were all three hon
orable men. But the pendulum swung
inevitably the other way.
Ministerial Authority.
The event is one which strikes a
blow at Ministerial and Governmental
authority. Not perhaps since the be
ginning of the war has more mo
mentous decision had TO be taken. Not
merely or mainly because this is an
invitation 70 all the Miners in the
Kingdom 10 follow the Welsh lead,
and SO disturb an industry vital TO
the conduct Of the war. 1t might per-
haps be well II labor's demands pre-
scented themselves In form and on q
scale which left Ministers no slterna-
tive but resistance or suicide. The
late Ministry committed suicide. Why
should not this? | do not press that
IL would be calamity; an open door
10 the unknown. What | mean Is that
the threat Of a general coal strike
would compel this government once
for all to make up its mind whether
il meant TO govern or TO be governed
As il is, the principle Of authority,
on which all Governments rest, is i'm
periled And not only Is 1t imperilled.
but il Is yielded in what seems a care
less and lighthearted way. Decisions
so grave as this are seldo.l OF never
taken save by the will Of the Cabinet
as a whole. Yet now there has been no
Cabinet meeting since last Friday. One
is appointed for to-day-the day after
the CaplluldllOH. HS ~ ISnp'NNANh "
the Ministry, a hundred times evil
dent before war, takes on at last the
appearance of indifference. Iagree II is
in appearance only. They cannot really
be Indifferent. They cannot like TO see
the moral force of the Government
weakened. But they allow il TO be COM
promised by q minority not quite one
seventh Of the whole Cabinet. Can
they not hear the cries Of eIultation
with which Germany rings!
For now, as before, the collision is
not between Miners and the Masters; II
is between Miners and the Government.
When in July the Government pro-
claimed the district in which the enemy
were encamped. they withdrew their
proclamation. or allowed IL 10 lapse into
a dead letter. No proceedings were
taken under II. You do not take pro- !
ceedings against a victorious foe. The |
Masters, as before, put themselves IN /
the hands OF the Government. In that
much abused body OF coal owners
favorite target OF the Socialists-re- |
sides all the patriotism there Is in /
South Wales. The Miners put them I
selves outside the law. and there they I
remain.
Next week this same Government will J
have 10 meet a still more momentous
-. IT. gor,vssysnth Trades Union