The Washington herald., 1920-06-18
Scarborough Labor Conven-
ton Plans Overthrow of
Lloyd George.
PREPARING FARMERS
Propaganda Indicates Fight
Of Extraordinary Pro-
portions Next Week.
(washington Herald-Public Ledger
Service. Special Cable Dispateh.)
- By CARL w. ACKERMAN.

- By CARL w. ACKERMAN.
London. June H. England Is
again becoming concerned over the
possibilities Of a general strike for
political purposes.
Although many Of the British
trade unions have during the past
year voted against direct action.
there Is every indication that when
the twentieth annual convention of
the Labor party meets next Tuesday
in Scarborough tho question of a
national strike to overthrow the
Lloyd George government will be
advocated and supported by some
of the most eloquent and bellig-
.erent of England's labor leaders,
James Henry Thomas and John
Robert Clynes, two of labor's chief
spokesman in parliament, have an
,nounced publicly their opposition
to direct action, but an examina-
tion Of the resolution and business
program Of the convention, which
was issued today, indicates clearly
that. while the radicals. may not
control the conference, they have
by a great majority succeeded in
forcing their program to the fore.
and every day during the three
: days conference the convention.
which represents all organized
British labor, will be called upon
to consider and decide upon such
aggressive measures as direct ac-
tion versus. national elections in
politics, the forty hour working
week, the afpliation of the British
: labor party with the third or COM
= munist international, the nation
alization of railways and public
ownership and control of liquor.
Strength of Orpositiou.
Taking into consideration the
very general expectation that the
next government of England will
be a labor government. 1t will be
both sig lificant and important tC
-abserve the strength of the radicals
and conservatives at the Scarho-
zrough conference. for it is obvious
That IL the leaders of the left wing
asbtain control of the convention
They will launch a strike movement
on all lines OF labor activity and
lie up the nation more effectively
st7an during last years historic rail-
Eay strike.
Inet, however. are keenly alive to
the many possibilities and If the
Radicals should set cut to over
~ h,g 80
s$here is not the slightest doubt
that the Prime minister will force
a dissolution of parliament and go
before the country in a new cleo
Zion. Lloyd George and the coali-
sstion believe they can win by an
Overwhelming vote. while Thomas
ssand Clypes alike fear 1t. This pn-
sdoubtedly is one of the chief rea-
Sons why they oppose direct action
'cat this time. despite the fervent ap-
,sDeals of the Daily Herald and all
zthe other fator newspapers scat
tered broadcast throughout these
ISLANDS.
:. While the United States is in the
snnidst of a Presidential campaign it
should be. realized that domestic
policies here are equally as excit-
Sng and that while it is not antici-
spated that a labor government will
Succeed to power as quickly as the
Republican party in America. 1t is
hot at all unlikely that the next
american administration may be
called upon to do business with a
labor government over here.
= Strike Plans Indicated.
Before considering the plans
which are being made for the next
big strike. which. curiously enough,
are centered chiefly among agricul-
tural workers. to prepare them to
Join the, other workers in favor of
GENERALIZATION, il is necessary to
Jpoint out the resolutions and amend
.,mants which have been tabled for
consideration at Scarborough. No
less than 230 such motions must be
voted upon. Among the important
.ones are the following:
1. That submitted by the Birming-
ham Central Labor party that "the
conference declares that the terms
of the allied peace treaties grossly
violate the professed objects for
which the governments of the allied
and associated peoples entered and
prolonged the war. While the peo-
pie were told that they fought for
noble and disinterested purposes, il
is now manifest to all that their
governments had utterly contrary
views. The war settlement clearly
established the fact that the peoples
were hatefully tricked and victim
lied by their governments and that
the terms they imposed are dictated
not by needs or principles, but solely
by the expansion Of allied militarism
and imperialism. For these reasons
this conference repudiates all re-