Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-24
BRITAIN FACING
MUNITION STRIKE
Conferences Tom orrow W
Will Attempt to Prevent
Widespread Walkout
10000 QUIT AT COVENTRY
Pacifist Intrigue Seen as Par.
tial Cause-Covernment
Defied
London. July %

London, July "a
In an effort TO reach an amicab'e
agreement with munition workers who
are threatening To strike conferences
VIII be held tomorrow between represen-
tattves Of the Government and the
unions. which have named advisory COM
mittees. II these efforts fail, II was de-
clared today. there will he more than
100000 striking before the end Of this
week, with possibility that this num-
Der will reach 100000 next week
Already 10000 have left the works
at Coventry and 1000 at Leicester. To.
day 10000 men and 5000 women are
Scheduled to walk out at Birmingham
At Lincoln thousands were scheduled to
strike. Manchester workmen are expect-
ed to go out tomorrow. There has been
no action yet at Glasgow.
Morning newspapers are Urging
'garnst haste pointing out the danger
OF such step. The Allies, they declare.
VIII surer greatly If the strike is per-
mitted to be called.
strikers Defy Government
How far the union officials will be
able to influence the situation is impos-
s'ole to say. According to several re-
ports from Coventry the strikers are not
only defying the Government. but also
the trades union leaders and have over
thrown their local leaders.
Some reports are to the effect that
the strikers are nearly all young men of
military age who took refuge in the
engineering trade from conscription ear
lier in the war. and. 1t is said. are pre-.
pared to go 20 any lengths to evade
active service.
On the other hand. one of the main
causes of discomfort is said to be tho
fact that semskiled youngsters who
have acquired all the engineering knowl-
edge they possess during the war are
earning much higher wages than the
older skilled men because the youngsters
are paid at piece rates while the older
men get time rates
This Is said to be only one perplexity
Of grievances which can be traced. ac-
cording to some reports. to bureaucratic
ineptitude. At the same time it Is rec
ognized that 1t is impossible to attempt
to lower the piece rates. as it Is. declared
this would result in n national strike of
far greater dimensions.
strong Pacihst Intrigue
To the series of real or fanced griev-
ances against the ministry of munitions
and Government officials as causes Of
the unrest must be added. according to
the general testimony. a strong pacifist
intrigue
Alexander NJ. Thompson, a Socialist
and editor of the Clarion, and who is
reporting the strike for the Daily Mail,
writes of a fierce fanaticism among the
workers. The war faction among the
workers quotes speaker at a public
meeting as saying:
THE more munitions you make the
longer the war will last"
At another meeting local trades
union secretary is reported to have de-
clared:
1T Is our duty to hold up munitions.
bring Lloyd George to his knees. and
compel him to make a uecent peace"
Such instances. says Thompson. are
many and endless. He adds that the
pacifists are untiring in their insidious
propaganda and that there is a group Of
them in every workshop.