The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1919-07-31
THE SITUATION
IN NENGLAND
The Whole Country a Forum of
Debate Where Men Are
Wrestling With
RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD
RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD

:. LONDON, July 29,-"What is
your general view of the industrial,
social and political situation in Great
britain? Are you pessimistic in re-
gard to future developments? The |
New York Times correspondent yes
tarday asked one of the greatest of |
living Englishmen in the course of |
a private conversation. His reply |
was this:
/ 81 am optimistic about the future,
because / look back upon the past
and, considering present conditions,
] never fail to find three character
istios which have served England
we'll, commonsense, the sense of in
dividual responsibility which goes
with individual liberty, and the sense
of personal service due to the ma
tiona1 needs.
! Look around you and you will
see the whole country is just now
a vast forum in which Englishmen
holding great debate. Glass seems
to be arrayed against class, labor
seems to speak with one voice, cap
ital with another. Revolutionaries
are raising the red flag, but the
standards of law and order fly
proudly amid the battle. The
debate can have only one ending,
the defeat of the extremists and the
victory of the general community.
There will be some bloody noses and
broken heads possibly. The Winter
will not pass without much suffer-
ing, and some serious clashes, but
t1e commonsense and the social
sense and the political sense of the
great body of my ceuntrymen will
prevail
This mornings newspapers more
than bear out the contention of the
great Englishmen just quoted that
the country is vast forum of be-
bate. The meetings held during the
weekend throughout the kingdom
were practically innumerable. Oro-
tors of every hue have held demon
strations and been protected by the
police against Loyalists, who for
get that freedom of speech is a safe
,ty valve. l.~-..4--..
/. Bob Smillie, Herbert, Smith, J.
FL. Thomas, fresh from United Stat
.es, G. H. Roberts, FL. H. Abquith.
and dozens more contributed some
thing to the national controversy.
In some quarters it is held that
public opinion is not yet sufficien-
tly Informed about the merits of the
various -quarrels that are being
fought out or are in prospect-the
Yorkshire miners strike, the Liver
, ipoolockers' strike. the Manchester
: furniture makers strike, which has
, led to national lockout in the fur
niture trades; several municipal
strikes, unemployment difficulties in
Bradford, Sheffield. and other in
dustrial centers, and most serious
. Of all the threats contained in the
: moves of the triple alliance toward
direct action.''
Lloyd George is being strongly
urged to make tour of the conn.
,.t'y and tell the people that Great
Britain is ct a parting of the ways
lt is pointed out that on a self-con.
> :, tanned none export basis that this
. small island with an area might per
! haps support in poverty a population
;, of twelve of fifteen millions, ba.
built up civilized population O.
100000 on the basis of expor
( trade and Shipping. 1t is that basis
. which is in peril today 1t was los
st temporary during the war owing t,
r. necessities of the case, and the coun
W try has been living for some year
II on credit.
t We cannot continue to live ii
le that way" the public is informed
v. I'VE must recover our export trad
,e and shipping. Failing their recover
even our credit viii disappear. No,
is our opportunity to recover them
but unless quickly taken it will no
lbe ours for long" There is It'd
s.. In the affairs of men, Tragic indeed
e., If we miss it will be the fate of on
i'll dense population in the years t
" come Poverty, unemployment, fol
It. iced emigration will become the ger
If feral portion. We shall be lucky If "
nd do not end by losing our freedom
too.,