Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-04
GREATEST CRISIS
NOW CONFRONTING
INDUSTRIAL LIFE
Negotiations Between the
Government and Labor
Are Broken Off.
APPEAL FOR ClTIzEN'e
MADE BY EMP'-. Cfs'5-s
Trades a,or7 . Conference
for '-7assa y to Discuss
General Strike.
TROOPS HELD IN READINESS
workers Demand Definite Assure
ances That Their just Claims
Are Met, Says Leader.
TROOPS HELD IN READINESS
TBy Universal seryice.i

hoNDoS, oct. S.-After a day Of re.
newed tentative peace pourparlers be.
tween the government and labor, all
negotiations were broken off tonight.
and the danger of Britain being laid
low by t1e greatest industrial crisis In
history became more real and terrible
than ever
Immediately after the breakup Of
negoaiations nes the government issued an
the crisis. At the same time the trades
unions called conference for next
hhuesGay hv 81 y to- TO discuss general strike
the railway workers.
Thus, three days are left-one OF
which Is a Sunday--in which by some
now unlocked for developments the
men men may be brought together. Both
as they were week ago.
the Mss. ssr,ks our Claims and we'll call on
railmen to the government. -
Go to work first;@ then weir ne co.
tate; is Lloyd Georges stand from
Troops Held In Readiness.
BY order of Field Marshal Haig, one
division Of troops Is already located
In In. Losdon, sts,onad and other military bodies
throughout Britain. ready for any
emergency.
!, Strong nsa,s armed forces are, therefore.
army, but this citizens army is the
governments first line of defense in
the great social and Industrial crisis,
The government is fully aware that
II the strike does not end this week
the country faces series Of progress.
sive strikes that threaten the vitaIs
OF the British empire, but it continues to
treat sniao.: me strike as IAN anarchistic con-
leaders there can be no compromise,
ana certainly no negotiations until the
"conspirators" have confessed repent.
ance by going back to work.
Thomas Issues Statement.
James Henry Thomas. secretary OF
the National Union OF Railway Men.
said tonight after the rupture of me-
II am profoundly satisfied that there
only one who can avert it The gov
surrender. There will be no uncondi-
tional surrender except over my dead
"if the strike continues another
week the country will go to smash The
delegates Of 100000 union men say
we are right in rejecting ,unconditlonal
Chat conferred with the government1
unanimously. supports the railway men
in their refusal Of the government
This Is not a strike against the
State II 1t were I wouldn't be lead
ing 1t. The men will not return on
I dusmrs ssure pro promises. but only on definite
met"
Expect bitter Struggle.
-, There are strongest Indications that
Ihomas is correct In claiming the sym
pathy and prospective SUPPORT of the
bulk of British labor. The greatest
danger danger now now Is the going out of the
alliance"
J; Bromley. secretary of the Asso-
eers and Firemen. said tonight he
feared lit will be a long and bitter
struggle between trades unionism gem
IF the Premier's only suggestion is
unconditional surrender 1t is certain
the rail men will hang on to the bitter
end and the other unions will join them
In earnest"
RemnIns of Feudalism.
That camarilla." he said. ito a GER
tain extent represents the last remains
OF British feudalism entrenching itself
IN ! i, the the Cabinet. Among them are ex-
whose self f-complacence enables him to
say that the small ruling class will
mav mot heed re- ed ;. the periis which the nation
Thomas further accused the govern
Inc same methods of propaganda that
were used against the enemy in the
The government Is preparing to issue
an othcial newspaper OF its own In the
event the printers throughout London
go on strike in protest against what
the press.
The transport workers organization,
which took a leading hand in the vain
Efforts to bring the government and
me ran men together. comprises -
100000 men,. Upon these the rail
strikers count to join the strike first
The majority Of steel. iron and glass
factories already are so detrimentally
srected by the rail strike that the
furnaces at most of the plants have
mad 10 be damped down.
Most of the textile firms can Garry
on' for considerable period. however,
even IL the strike continues.
Huge Cost of waIkout.
So far the strike has cost 100000.
200. including s60,000.000 lost in coal
production. This latter factor is Of tre-
mendous peril because the nation was
struggling with great shortage Of
coal even before the strike started. Tha
nable. - - i"Se'-'
Approxinately 100000 workers in
'ther trades have been thrown out of
lmDlOXmAnt ha vtr