Mexico weekly ledger., 1918-08-01
GERMAN REVERSE
RESPONSIBLE FOR
MUN|TION STRIKES
(By Cable to the Ledger
BY X. WALTER.

LONDON, July 29.-The relieved
tension of the military situation more
than any other single cause is respon-
sible for the present very serious
spread of munition strikes in England.
Minor Labor grievances have been ac-
cumulating for many months. While
the fact of war was in the balance ev-
erything had TO give way to the imme-
date needs of the nation. British
workingmen have long been deaf to
agitators, but the government put e
wrong estimate on the forces that
were maintaining the industrial peace
a home. 1t did not mean that Labor
was satisfied with the government but
that Labor was loyal to England. And
Labor is loyal today, but with a sense
Of irresponsible optimism in itself ar
expression Of its dissatisfaction with
the government. There is unrest
among these men who have been
freely hard at work for four years
without any Of the rest and leaves and
careful attention to their physical and
moral welfare which have kept their
brothers in khaki at the top Of their
form. You must also remember that
the government have been sitting on
the safety valve of British political
feeling for the last four years; there
has been no general election since 1910
and in these eight years a government
which started as a Liberal government
has slowly, under pressure of the war
and for lack Of capable Liberal lead
ers, become a coalition government
which Labor regards as Conservative
in all but name.
Labor Dislikes Churchill.
These considerations are of much
greater Importance than the immedi.
ate excuse for the strikes, which is al
unreasonable objection to the govern,
ment's method of obtaining a fair dis
: tribution of skilled labor by puttinG
an embargo on the employment O
; more than a certain proportion o
skilled workers in any one shop. TIL
! governments action is in effect n
more than an effort to systematic tn,
. dilution of Union Labor with non-Un
n ion Labor, to which in principle an
practice the Unions agreed for tn
duration Of the war. Unfortunatel
Labor does not like or trust Winston
: Churchill who, as Minister of Mum
tons, is primarily concerned with tn
arrangement.
Tut Lloyd George is also involve,
in their ~displeasure because, as FRS
Munitions Minister, he started tn
process Of industrial development, in
dustrial reaction they call it, whic.
was necessitated by the urgent dc
mands Of the a Then, too, Georg
Barnes and the other Labor Minister
have been too busy in office to keep /
touch with the rank and file sentimen
Of the Unions, while the acting off
Gals of the Unions appear to the mem
bers to have been more occupied /.
compromising the power Of the I'm
ions than in protecting their interest,
so that their influence also ha
waned.
Strong Labor Minority HELMS.
Thus the situation is much more g,
rious than IL it were no more than
%diqerence of opinion between emplo,
ers and Union leaders. The danger /
that, if the government sticks TO Il
policy, and the w~orkingmen fail I
understand that 1t Is a necessar,
harmless and constructive policy.
may be made the occasion of an II,
bridled expression of accumulated di,
content, and the government win n,
have to treat with responsible leade,
but with the men who have power
aggrayate ill-feeling without the a,
thority to restrain impatient action
A strong Labor Minority feryentI
disapproves Of any restriction Of on
put. Together with government a,
ents the leaders Of this faction Al
making every effort to rightly int
pref the policy of the government Al
there Is hope that an understandir
VIII be secured before Tuesday VIII,
great extension of the strike
threatened.