The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-04-04


II the workers OF Great Britain
don't get what they want. there may
be real trouble. But II looks as tho
they are going to get II.
! say IL looks that way because
the government, the workers. the
capitalist. the majority OF industry
In the new house OF commons and
detached leaders OF public thought,
all show signs Of "A realization that
the thing is deeper-this ume~-than
questions OF wages and working con.
ditions. merely az such.
The British workers don't want
Bolsbevism. They won't have u.
Industrial citizenship isn't Boil.
shevism. tho some Boishevlk sgf-
tators have been trying their darned.
est to twist Il into Trotsky form
aided and Allotted by short sighted.
frightened. capitalist Interests who
have been howlng about anarchy"
and the red terror" in a futile at
tempt 10 rouse public opinion
against the workers
No Dictatorship
Capital wants a dictatorship OF
money Bolshcviks want a "dicta.
torNhip OF the proletariat"
The British workers want NO
DICTATORSHIP an era OF CO.
operation. They want an industrial
democracy in which they shall have
full rights Of citizenship.
what Britain regards as one Of
the most important documents In
British Industrial history. appeared
tho other day in the columns OF the
London Tlmes-an unsolicited letter
from Lord Robert Cecil.
on trip back TO London during
q breathing spell at the peace con-
ference recently he wrote the letter
TO the Times. from which these ex
cerpts are taken.
Il believe that large part OF the
more extreme section OF the labor
world consists OF men who a few
years ago were the backbone OF
working class conservstism-me
who have done well in their trades
and have the respect of their fellow
workmen.
What these men complain of Is
not so much that the conditions of
their work are bad as that they
have no say In what those condi-
tons should be.
Even where. as is very often the
case. the employers are excellent.
where they take great trouble to
meet the wants and desires OF their
employees. where they pay good
wages for moderate hours and pro
vide them with various amenities as
well. all this IL done for the men as
a voluntary act OF benevolent des-
potism. or as the consequence Of the
law OF supply and demand.
"A mans labor is "A part of him
self and not mere commodity TO
be bought and sold in the market.
He has right to be consulted as to
its disposal and cannot give to an
other uncontrolled power over II
without injury to his self-respect.
ut will no doubt be said that
II the employees are TO have
share In the management Of in
dustry IL will mean loss In ef-
ficiency, and since the real cure
for industrial difficulties Is in.
crease Of output. such u change
would be IA retrograde measure.
''The same argument has often
been applied i'm the political
world. indeed IL is the mainstay
Of the defense Of kaiscrism.
''rhe world has decided against
autocracy and for good reasons.
"In the first place. history shows
that really good despots are rare.
and | suspect that same Is equally
true OF captains of industry; and in
the second place the argument
leaves out of sight the passion OF
mankind for liberty.
over and over again we have
seen men prefer a bad government
for which they are responsible. and
in which they have a share. to a
good government imposed upon
them from above.
ITO my mind II is unreasonable
to ask the workingman to accept his
employers view as to what is a fair
wage and what are fair conditions
OF labor unless he Is given. not only
full opportunity for assuring him
self OF all the relevant facts in the
case, but also some share in the
management OF these matters which
are of even greater Importance to
LII ln ~ n