Evening journal., 1915-08-16
Rv Ep. !. KFFN.
nited pre.. staa oorre.nondenl.

United Press Staf Correspondent
LONDON. Aug. (By MaiD -Provi-
dence takes care of drunken men, babies.
England.
According TO some irreverent folks this
amended version of the old adage Isl
quite justified, especially. in view of the
timely settlement of the recent coal
strike
Anyhow, 70 is conceded on all hands
over here that John Bull seldom did a
more thorough job of "muddling
through is it admitted that
in this particular instance Providence
was materially assisted by one David
LLOYD George. the new Business Man
ager Of the British Empire"
The censorship muddle, the recruiting
muddle. the Dardanelles muddle, the
shells muddle. the machine gun mudlle.
the cabinet muddle, and all the other
muddes, big and little. in which Great
Britain has been involved since the great
war begun-none Of them contained
such possibilities Of widespread disaster
as the coal strike muddle. Not only was
! England face TO face with industrial pa
ralysis and general domestic disorder, If
not revolution, but she had already been
unoiiicially reproved by her allies, who
recently had been me too enthusiastic
anyhow over the support she had been
giving them on the battlefield The
great manufacturing establishments had
begun to feel the pinch; q number of
! the coal-carrying roads had closed
down; the Admiralty had grabbed all the
available coal supply ON the South
! Wales docks; the increased flow of mu-
nitions which Lloyd George had just got
ten well started was gayely ieopardized
and-porhaps more portentious than
anything else-half a dozen French ships
were lying in Cardiff harbor with empty
bunkers.
For three months the situation had
been developing If John Bull had mere.
" glanced in that direction he would
have seen IL; but John probably figured
that he had quite enough troubles IN
stock without frisking the future foI
more Hunting for trouble never was
one of Johns long suits.
The FIVE year agreement OF the
South Wales Miners Federation with
1.-THE Coal Owners Association was due
to expire June 80 The men had given
the required three months notice
that they desired a new deal. The
masters refused TO listen. The dead
lock continued And il was not until
three days before the date of expira-
ton Of the old agreement that Walter
Runciman, president of the Govern
ment Board of Trade, whose most
important duty il is to prevent strikes
N possible. intervened Even then he
did not go to South Wales to investi-
gate conditions on the spot. or by per-
sonal influence among the men and
masters endeavor to avert the ca
lamity that everyone in the district
was sure would befall the nation.
He handled the situation in the good
old bureaucratic fashion here at his
desk in London. II must be said for
the masters that they put themselves
practically in his hands when they re-
! allied the determination of the men
Runciman framed an award which
; conceded most Of the mems demands
l But whereas this was satisfactory tC
8 the Federation leaders. II was reject
ed by the rank and nle After keep
e ing the men at work on day-to-da,
3 contracts for a fortnight, the leaders
p could 80 no further. and the strik'
n was on.
Now. there has been a whole 10
= said about lack Of patriotism on tn,
part of the miners, but very little
e about the masters. The real reason
Z for this strike was the question o
= war profits. With the cost of Twins