New-York tribune., 1919-09-29
Suspension Of Sailing, Is
Considered, IL Neither
Passengers Nor Cargocs
Can Reach Ocean Ports
Disorder Absent:
Real TEST To-day
Not Il wheel Turns From
Highlands 10 Channel:
Ration Coal and Food
Nsa Aofs Trib,, 4

IuropsGe B,,rr0p
lcapFris . ana New York rrlbrae lnc1
LONDON. Sept. IS England soon
may be almost completely isolated
from the outside world 50 far ss trans
portation is concerned The steamship
lines today considered the advisabilitv
Of suspending their sailing IcYcy
vessels are arriving from Franco. and
even these may cease to sail within &
few days, as cargoes and passenger
cannot come from the interior of the
country.
The vast network Of railroads from
northern Scotland 20 The English Chan
mel is motionless, and. from the work
ers' standpoint, the strike IS j complete
success.
Outside of isolated instances whcrr
volunteer crews have undertaken 20
run trains for specific purposes, as
when boat train was run TO the Chan
mel ports or when an engineer VINO
lived in northen England ran his srain
20 his home town. the whcols OF the
country's railways have absolutely
stopped tanning.
Complete as the strike IS, SO lar there
has been no violence England has now
been without railway. service for forty
eight hours, yet there has not been :,
single report Of lawiessness. The fac.
that to-day is Sunday is largely r.
sponsible for this situation. COR the
majority of the people are able 20 stay
at home, and buses and streetcars are
running in the principal cities.
Real Test Comes To-day
The real test VIII come tomorrow.
when the general public must 20 u
work Then it Will be realized tnat tn,
strike is developing into a class wa
between the workers and the publ:
at large, between organized labor and
the consuming cla~-.
The economic effect VI tae strIA,
began 10 be ielt to-day. Coal is al
ready strictly. ra,ioned. and the ho,
water supply Was limited this mornir..
Restaurants. which were cIowtc.' Wit
those VINO feared thar they would. be
unable 10 return 10 the city ii they
once lett ii. enforced severe restrictions
upon the use Of bread. sugar, meat and
butter The coal situation soon viii b.
critical, Tor many mines are closing
down
The bus drivers. sueetcar work
ers and taNicab men VIII decide to-mor~
row whether or not to loiN the strlN-
ing railwaymer. II they strike Their
action viii increase the difficulties o.
the situation a hundredfolf It Is bs
loved that the government would mo-.
workers 20 Out, for it unqucstfonabil h
would Increase public sympathy with
the governments s,do of tno cast
Public Cold Toward Strike
Judging from The newspapers. the
general public is against the strike. al
though there is considerable sympathy
with the ralwaymen, whose demands
for wage standardization are felt to be
Just. Far more important than the
question Of whether the bus and
strectcar workers viii ioiu the rail-
waymcn is the possibility that the
o'hcr tWo branches Of iabors triole
alliance. tho miners and the iran-port
workers, may go ont in q 4ympathotir
s'riAc. So far these uorkers haye no,
given Indication Of what course they
nt"nd 10 pursue.
1hc government is depending rpon
Commandeerel motor loirio 20 icc,
he food situation from Dccominf- fo.
critical \ cham Of lorries and truck.
extending over several miie.. load.i
with milk cam rrepa red 10 set out 10.
night from Hyde Pasa 10 make ~, end.
less cham Of n'ih Transportation iron,
the country 10 tho cii1's millions.
The government has not nude any
statement a - the possibility Of run.
) ning trains with nou-union labor. bni
II IS generally felt that this il out @
tie question on any large scale. 1r
use soldiers IN this capacity woui,
precipitatc crisis. il is feared
Little knots Of soldiers were scattered
through London to-day 1t j. in,rn.
sibie TO say whether they wc1e mcrel,
guarding against disorder or ready -,
,'rlke- breaking service, yet, dee it.
! the effects of the strife ana the ce,, .~,
public discomfort. London s,,rn,i.
lngly calm tonight, and II is afmos.
impossible 10 realize that the rreat..
railway strike IN tngland's history !,
actually IN progress.
Leader Warns Government
LONDON. sept = by The As.o,;
s. a'ed Press Premior lloyd George
or ERIC ''edces, the Minister Of yrar.
poI' ana other members ii the Cab,
net conferred throug ghout this morn;,,.
on the railway striae situation y.r.a'
apparently WAS UNCHANGED to.}..,, - -
On the rallwaymen's side L.
henry Thomas. secretary OF the "
donai Union Of Raiiwagnen. ravo 40 -"
staten ent declaring pc was an>,o,,
for settlement, but ,ar,lj,r. '''A 10 u