Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-10
LONDON OP |NION
FAVORS STRIKERS;
DEMAND ELECTION
At EARLY DATE.
Newspapers Support Govern
ment Only in Its Policy To-
ward Labor Disturbances,
Says Correspondent, ..
MIDDLE CLASS NOT
FOR LLOYD GEORGE
Walk-0ut of Police Force is
Merely Expression of DlSsat-
iSfaCtion Now Apparent Ev-
erYWhere.
BY X, Walter.
Especial Gable to Journal. }

especial cable to journal
London, Aug. 9.-Despite the lack
of bread and other inconyeniences,
London opinion is gradually coming
round to the side of the strikers.
There is no newspaper evidence for
this statement, but l am forced to the
conclusion that it is correct by per-
sonal encounters with members OF
the silent middle class. My respecta-
be and expensive dentist, drill in
hand, surprised me by saying he
hoped the strike would become gen
eral My silk-hatted doctor praised
the railwaymen for striking in sym
pathy with the police. My stenogra-
pher, who lives in the district that
voted almost solid for the jingo can
didate last December, says all the
talk now is in favor of a general
strike. A shipping friend in the city
until recently anti-labor, now says we
need a change and hopes direct action
viii bring it about. My publisher de-
spairs of good business until we have
had something like a revolution and
settled things for time.
Not Connected With Labor.
These are chance opinions from
persons not connected with the labor
movement. Casual talks with trades
men, mattresses, conductors and other
city workers sissc .iis same Indication
Of a t,ln OF opinion that does not
SNOW al All .3le Eewspapsfs ami mas
only taken place in the last week or
so, At first there was little or no
sympathy with the thousand London
police strikers and it is difficult to say
there is any now. Dismissal from
the force and knowledge that the
strike is for recognition and not for
more pay has had some effect on pop
u'ar imagination. On the whole Lon
doners would rather have their traf-
fic regulated by unionized police than
by military police, if that is to be the
alternative There is a strong feel
ing that the government are being too
slow in getting back to ways of peace.
Resent Military Infantrymen.
Any encroachment of military or
civil authority is resented by middle
class opinion Actually the only step
in this direction has been the appoint
ment of general army officer as
head Of the London police instead of
a civilian 1t has always been a point
of pride among Englishmen that their
police were civilians unlike the mill
tary police of continental countries. In
Liverpool any case the police are not
expected to cope with such riots as
occurred at Liverpool. The law of the
land makes due provision for the use
of military authority on such occa-
sions
Nobody seems clear as to- what can
be Immediately gained by general
strike. The growing section of labor
definitely wants revolution. Middle
class people, such as quoted above,
trust that things will not have to go
so far They hope for general cleo
ton. In the eyes of those who dis
passionately watch events here this is
becoming the only hope for the return
of constitutional settlement of po-
litical disputes and for q peaceful set
tlement of national economic prob
lens. But the government is embar-
rassed by its huge majority in par
lament and is likely to lose conf
dence in itself before it loses the con-
fidence of the house. There was a
sign of this in the government aban-
donment of the bill to increase minis
ters' salaries although the bill passed
the second reading with large ma
jority
The dangers of the situation are
not lessened by the fact that the only
subject on which the government can
get newspaper support today is the
anti-strke policy. Whatever e'se It'll
touches arouses a chorus of dissatis-
faction led by the Times Moderates
of every political color are again
looking with interest across the At
lantic. If the president can discover
a way of avoiding sharp conflict be-
tween unions and the government,
England may again turn haughtily to
political generalizations typed in
Washington as in the darkest days of
the war.