Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-08
By ELLEN ADAIR

Written Specially for the EyESiNG LEpGER.
LONDON, February 22-All over the
world there has been tremendous cOndem.
nation OF the "Unpatriotic" British miner,
eociSyard laborer and munition worker.
who chose the time of their country s
greatest need 10 go on strike and demand
more money.
Reasons of this unpatriotic action lay
in certain conditions which existed long
before the war. In England vast section
of the working classes were cOngregated
in certain industrial areas badly housed.
uacouth, mentally and often morally
btunted. Thousands of them lived like
pigs, and a visit TO some Of these col
liery towns reminded one Of Dickens "old
Curiosity Shop" with its lurid pictures
Of the discomforts of the lower working
glasses in great industrial centres
can imagine nothing more appalling
than the lives Of these people-before the
war Half-clad children rolled in the mud
that surrounded the dreadful cottages
where the rain dripped through various
koies In the roofs. Wild-looking women in
battered clothes hurled imprecations at
their puny offspring. Drunken men had
continuous brawls. and even the women
would fight furiously with each other,
maddened with drink and often lost to all
sense of womanhocd. The poverty was
terrible.
UNEXPECTED CALL.
In this great section OF the community
the middle and upper classes took very
little interest For their vindication it
must be said that the miners and dock
laborers did not encourage interference.
6pasmodic philanthropy achieved but lit
tie. Nor was there any organized attempt
10 better their condition. a dreary state
Of things, indeed!
On the outbreak Of war It suddenly
dawned upon the nation that these un-
couth. unlettered people were the very
ones upon whom the country depended
for winning the fight. and the nation
promptly shrieked Patriotism" at them.
In the past, however, the country had
never given them anything TO be patriotic
for. The nation as whole had never
said. This great section OF the commu-
nifty is not being properly treated" Ig-
norant of the beauty Of the country, these
great laboring classes knew only the
squalor OF their own homes. Culture and
opportunity and the ordinary comforts
OF life were beyond them
Now this despised section suddenly held
the trump cards Of the game-a life-and-
death game, too. In their unwilling hands
lay the outcome Of the: Great War.
PATRIOTISM UNKNOWN.
IT was a rude awakening for England
Too late she realized 1t was futile to ap-
peal to a sense of patriotism in a class
Of people who could not comprehend that
hands These people were furious, too
At the profits their masters were making
and demanded a share. The sudden sense
OF power also was too much for the dock
Iaborers, Tnunition workers and miners
Il might possibly have intoxicated even
more educated people than they. How
much more, then. in the case OF ignorant
beings who for long had had grievances
against the Government.
Appeal 10 patriotism was futile. Inn
III. NE. 4
meant rioting all over the country big
Btrikes-and how can hundreds Of thou
sands be quickly Imprisoned? II would
have necessitated the recalling of an i'm
mense army of soldiers from the front
to battle with them. The British nation
never has tolerated and never would toll
crate coercion
BRIBERY AS SOLUTION.
There was no time 10 educate the
masses up TO patriotism, and bribery was
the only solution.
In 4 case such as this it only requires