The sun., 1919-10-06
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STRIKERS ASSAILED
BY BRITISH PRESS
Newspapers Solid in Support
of Government.

SOptrVpNts ltlr, 0u ftqNt6 reserved.
LONDON, Oct, s.--Never in the whole
history Of Englands turbulent Industrial
disputes have there been such search
ingly critical and exhaustive expositions
Of the cases both Of the Government and
labor, nor has there ever been such
forceful support for the Government as
Is shown by the British newspapers to-
day.
These OF course were published before
the settlement of the strike was agreed
upon. Columns upon columns are de-
voted to discussion of the conflict;
hardly Sunday paper can be found
that does not lend itself unreservedly
to the cause, of the nation against the
small section of railway men who have
used the strike weapon to gain a techi-
cal point In a wage dispute affecting a
few only of their number.
]. L. Garvin in the Sunday Observer
says "If the question were confined
honestly to the adjustment Of wages un-
der peace conditions there would not be
general strike, for in this part of the dis
cussion there Is no fixed principle at
stake there is nothing in dispute which
cannot be settled by compromise or arbi-
tration.
"Ciuzens who do not belong to the
ranks of organized labor or to the cate
cory of capitalists are in the majority /;
they predomnate in numbers, character
brains, training, fibre and faculties of
every kind, At present they are as help
less as sheep. That situation must end !;
the leaders of the strike desire to coerce
the Government and the only way Of do
ing that was to assail without warning
Without the true excuse OF the interests
Of the general community no strike
against the Government can succeed by
INJECTING personal any inconvenience
upon the members OF the Government.
Attack Hits Community.
when that situation arises the at
tack Is upon the community at large,
which is entirely innocent 1t Is usually
unaware OF the crisis until II is too late
to avert it by the action of public opin.
ion. At twenty-four hours notice the
railway men or the transport workers
may cut of the ordinary means of move,
ment. The miners may stop the supplies
of fuel and the electricians plunge the
cities into darkness.
1T would be impossible to exaggerate
the fantastic injustice and barbarism OF
this procedure. This nation as a whole
always Is just and fair In domestic
matters and the power of the nation
as whole must be placed once for all
unchallengeably above the power of any
section
Writing in the Weekly Dispatch,
Alexander NJ. Thompson. for a quarter
of century England's leading labor
writer. in an open letter TO il. H
Thomas. secretary of the Union Of
Railwaymen, says:
"This strike is q mistake. You al
ways kne 1t was a mistake andyour
only part in that mistake wasin allow
ing yourself to be pushed into 1t. II 1t
were not so pitiful the situation would
be Gilbertian. The State. under a demo-
| cratic franchise is the people to strike
| against the State is to strike against the
people. That is not the way 10 demo-
| cratic advancement. What is the mat
| ter with the ballot box? II the minis
ters will not redress a gross grievance
appeal 10 Parliament; il Parliament
will not help, appeal DO the electors; the
productive classes are In an overvhelm-
| ing majority.
Deeply as syspathize with the lower
grades of railway workmen. bitterly as
| I resent the autocratic methods of gov
ing officials. I feel that in the interests
OF consututionalism. which one day will
be the bulwark of labor, we cannot af-
ford to lose the Government"