El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-11-05

] FunEarv and that his abdicatio1 BY
Z the manifest Of November Is, 1913, is
invalid
/ gel and the breach between 1fllerand
and Lloyd-George that has not been
Forcing Socialist Issue.
{ Finally. IN the late summer. &c was
I decided 20 force the Socialist issue
I through their control Of the coal sup
! ply The labor leaders would have
& Preferred to wait until the winter for
I the showdown. as they could then
I count on public suffering TO aid their
/ plans, but they feared the govern
ment would soon give up its war
I time control of the mines and hand
l them back TO private ownership, and
{ they wanted 70 bring about a condi-
I ton which would force public owner
! ship.
Their scheme was TO wipe out all
] profits Of the owners. first by the in
/ crease OF the miners wages. second
BIZ the reduction OF prices TO the pub
! lie. The Triple Alliance OF miners,
transport workers and railway men,
which swings the whole labor move
ment, stood behind the scheme, and
the issue was joined.
For six weeks Lloyd-George and the
union leaders maneuvered, as armies
would maneuver for battle, oelore
hostinties came. Both were seeking
the support Of the great public 1t
{ has been one Of the most remarkable
Z exhibitions of political strategy In
history and there is no doubt the
marvellous strateglst. Lloyd-Georges
brought himself TO the battle-ground
in FAR the more favorable position
The miners had hoped the promise
OF lower coal would win public sup
port. but found that the mass OF the
people were not ready 70 sen lnelr
nerliamerr their industry and their
empire for such a pittauce- So evil
dent did this become that the labor
chiefs were forced TO drop this Tea
ture and rest their case on wages
Pay Went ID. Production Down.
When they pressed for the two shil-
! lings increase a day Lioyd-George
[ proved they were among the highest
paid workers in the land, that their
I increases Of pay had kept pace with
the increased living costs and as their
pay had gone up their production had
gone down In the second quarter OF
this year Sc was more than 10 per
cent below the first quarter, although
the number OF miners was greater
He demanded that they should pledge
a return 20 the old rate OF production
as the price OF the increased wages
The miners had their good reply
They charged they had always been
underpaid and we're entitled 70 a bet
ter standard Of living and that the
loss OF production had been due 70
the piottings Of the owners who
wanted 70 compel the return OF the
mines TO their control yet, when
they forced the strike. the premier
had skiIlfully drawn his issue in such
a way as to put them in the wrong
They were represented as having
taken the people BY the throat in an
effort to set up a labor dictatorship
above the power Of parliament
So as the struggle develops, there
is every evidence that the premier has
the public behind him. while the en-
ployers are egging him on to finish
fight which once for all viii show
the labor men they cannot destroy
British industry trade and Imperial
power.
Britain at Grips with France.
From the point Of view Of British
world politics this struggle has come
At most unfortunate time. Aside
from its serious troubles in Asia, the
London government was just coming ]
70 gEips with France over their clash I
ing Russian, Polish, Turkish and Ger
man policies. 1t is evident, from the I
maneuYers set under way by British I
Statesmen In the diplomatic field that /
they believed the labor elements I
would not dare force the issue at this I
time and they had set out to restore ]
their International position, which /
had been sadly undermined IN the /
last five months
Il VIII be recalled that Lloyd I
George and 1lillerand came 70 a per |
sonal quarrel late in August over Pc /
land Each side has its own version .
Of what occurred at the conference T
in Hythe where as the Bolsheviki I
closed In on Warsaw the premiers I
debated what they should do. They
came 20 an understanding that pres /
sure should be brought TO bear 70
cause Poland TO agree to moderate ]
terms, but evidently Il was Tar from
Lloyd-George, after the conference. /
received an ultimatum from the new
" formed Council Of Action" which
was opposed 70 any hostinties with
the Bolshevild. and next day in the
house OF commons he Interpreted the T
arrangement with France into a con-
clusion that Poland should give way
70 the terms made public by the Boil /
sheVlld and that the arrangement F.
thus made should be a forerunner 70 I
general peace with Lenine. Milerand I
on the other hand, insisting that /
Lloyd-George had gone entirely too +.
far. dramatically recognized Gen
WranEel, and so broke up the British .
peace scheme
Sought to Regain Position
From that moment lIllerand has /
assumed a free hand and has pressed /
his policies in opposition to those Of /
Britain. while Lloyd-George has I
maintained a stubborn opposition.
In meeting this aggressive neSs. i
Lloyd-George has been handicapped /
by his home troubles. He has been
unable TO present q strong front at .
any point lest labor take advantage /
of any critical foreign situation.
When early in September, Lloyd
George caused the labor leaders 70 I
POSTPONE their strike, he and foreign /
minister CurZon apparently concluded /
this danger was over for the time be-
ing and they set out to undo some OF
the things done By Millerand- There ]
has been a serious exchange Of notes i
between Paris and London and con
fereuces between premier Lloyd
George and premier DelacroiL Of Bel
GUM in an effort TO bring France 70 I
terms The tenseness Of feeling be-
tween Lloyd-George and Millerand is
pointedly shown by the fact that Del
acroix had 10 act as a go-betWeen.
whereas before the Polish incident I
the French and British premiers fire.
quently met.
What Britain has tried to do, as the
first step in rehabilitaung her posi-
ton. is to force France 20 assent 10
q conference on German reparations
in which the Germans shall sit In
full fellowship 20 help find a way out