New-York tribune., 1919-02-03
British Parliament
Bamed by Issues
Of Reconstruction
Plan to SheIve Problems
Until Lloyd George Re-
turns Called Dangerous
i'll View of Labor Crisis
Neo York Tribune
European Bureau

'Copynght. 1919. New York Tribune Inc
LONDON, Feb. 2.-The new Parlia-
ment will meet this week. The pro-
gramme awaiting it is sufficient to an
pal the lightest hearted of the new
members.
The new administration is unprece-
dentedly weak in Commons, and is
confronted by problems whose multi
pllclty and complexity are unequalled.
The majority leaders also are absent
in Paris. Consequently the Cabinet is
taking the safest line and postponing
everything it possibly can.
For this reason questions like the
decentralization of railways and coal
mines, both urgent, will be shelved ac
cording to Cabinet ministers, along
with the Irish question, unless the
Slnn Fein take such steps as will
bring 1T again to the centre of the
stage. The creation of a ministry of
health, as we'll as OF supplies, will be
deferred. The governments plans re-
garding matters such as the land and
housing policies, which are among the
chlet grievances of returning soldiers.
are unsettled
Financial Problems Pressing
The new Parliament will have to con-
centrate first upon various difficult
financial matters awaiting adjustment,
and then there is the new military
service bill authorizing the upkeep Of
an army Of 100000 men which will
have to be rushed through.
1T is one Oftha irOniac Of tho fato
of an Administration which achieved
an overwhelming electoral success,
mainly upon the planks of no conscrip-
ton and full ndemnities from Ger
many, that it should be compelled i'm
mediatelXp to eat it's promises, first by
creation Of a conscript army and, sec
ond, by confirming the policy of the
British. representatives. at Paris to
make Germany pay only for wanton
damage done. This, as far as this
country is concerned, whites the
damages down to the matter of repara-
ton for air raids and shipping loses
There is rude awakening, there
fore, awaiting a large section of the
electorate which lightly thought a
large proportion Of the bulslen of war
costs now borne by British taxpayers
soon would be shifted to the shoulders
OF Germany. 1t is a cold fact, however,
in the view of the men now guiding
the destinies of the empire, that it is
impossible tc saddle upon Germany any
kind of indemnity without injuring
British trade to a like extent.
Labor Situation Paramount
The paramount problem, however. is
that involving labor. The outlook daily
grows from bad to worse. 1t is be-
coming increasingly apparent that the
governments policy of non-intervan-
tion not only is i'll judged but must be
Immediately reversed. 1t is fashion
able here to ignore the root and causes
of the situation by branding the en-
tire trouble Bolshevism and calling for
the use of force.
This is merely begging the question.
The fact is if the Amalgama Society
of Engineers carries out the resolution
Of Friday to strike on February 6 for
a forty-hour week, and the miners pro-
ceed with their plans to quit work un-
less their demands for a six-hour day
30 per cent wage increase, nationali-
zation of mines and payment in full
for demobilizcd soldiers are granted
the country will be in state equiva-
lent to a general strike. BY the use
of troops, as at Glasgow it may be DOS
sible to overawe the strikers locally
but this expedient will be quickly rem
dered useless if the strikes spread
throughout the country
Governments Chance Lost
Even week ago the government
might have nipped the troubles, but
that is now becoming an impossibility.
Each local concession means increased
demands, which now are openly coupled
with declarations that the strikes really
mean an effort to upset the present So
cia lorder and institute q new one.
1t is obvious that the root of all the
troubles is absolute dissatisfaction
with eisting social conditions at time
when steady, persistent labor is more
necessary than ever to preserve the ma
tional fabric.
This country, naturally, does not lean
toward Bolshevism. The solution of
the difficulties would seem to be gov