The Washington times., 1920-10-16
TO FIGHT /.
MILLION STRIKERS
Urges Britain to Break Coal
Miners WaIk-out That
Begins Today.
Continued from First Psse)

Continued from First P~xe-)
shop girls In doing their "bit' In
volunteer trafric service.
However, II is admitted even In the
most conservative circles that the
situation that confronts the country
today II far more grave than any II
has faced before.
The working masses = and the
triple .allisnee" OF key Industry
workers constitute their back bone
are better organised and financed
than ever before. and their spirit OF
determination and defiance was re-
enforced to an immeasurable degree
by the recent victory OF the Council
OF Action in restraining the hand OF
the government from aggressive
action against Russia.
PREMIER's CHALLENGE.
"War with Russia, or even block
ade. or even aid to General Wrsngel.
will mean a nation wide tie up" was
labor's ultimatum to Whitehall, and
while Premier Lloyd George came
back with q defiant never will we
allow labor to dictate our policy" the
upshot OF the crisis was that neither
war, nor block ade, nor aid to
Wrangel was decided upon.
That was the greatest proof 'of It's
power British organized labor has
had In the empires history, and since
then the leaders have been stead
lastly Forging ahead with their plans
TO assert the same power In the re-
adjustment OF their own living and
working conditions.
As part of It's pre-strike measures.
the government has reimposed the
complete system OF ratiohing of coal
and lighting. Sugar rations have
been cut in half. and the public has
been given to understand that IL must
be ready for more sacrifices.
LABOR MAY DEFEAT SELF.
The Daily Express, more optimistic
than most of the leading London
journals. predicts that before the
strike has lasted a week there will
be mediatory negotiations. The pa
per bases this theory ON family
quarrels" in the councils Of labor.
The powerful Trades Union Con-
gress, which created the Council of
Action" in the recent Russian crisis,
VIII meet Wednesday to discuss the
situation. The transport workers ex-
ecutives are scheduled to meet Mon
day, but their action is believed to
depend on the decision of the railway
men.
No meeting of the executives Of the
triple alliance as such has yet been
called.
Public anxiety Qentered upon the
question whether the strike will de-
velop into a solid strike of the triple
alliance" the powerful combination
of miners. railwaymen, and transport
workeEs
The government. fully set" for the
mine tie-up, is bending all its energies
to prevent q triple alliance walkout.
which II is admitted even by the
most sanguine officials would bring
not only the United Kingdom but the
British empire as a whole to the
brink of social and political upx
heaval, the consequences of which no
one dares 10 speculate upon.
FEAR n. H. INsURGENTs.
All eyes are fixed upon the nationa
union of railwaymen. for on the de-
cision of that powerful organization
depends the question whether the
strike can be confined to the miners.
An influential group Of the more
radical heads OF the rail mems union
Is working tooth and nail for a strike
in sympathy with the miners, but J.
III. Thomas, the organizations leader.
who is against ii, may be able to
check the Insurgents"
Downing street sighed relief, there
fore. when Thomas returned from the
continent this morning, after hopes
for his coming had been given up
when he was reported to have missed
his boat. Thomas returned from a
tour of Bohemia in the nick of time.
He will confer with Premier Lloyd
George tonight. Immediately upon
his arrival here he went into confer
ence with the other rail union execu-
tives and started his efforts to calm
the belligerent elements and avert a
rail strike.
Foremost among the pro-strike lead
ers of the railway mems union is w.
J. Cramp, member of the executive
committee. He announced early today
that he was circulating the members
OF the union regarding "the serious
position in which labor will find it,
self IL the miners are defeated"
Cramp. in Thomas absence. called
a meeting of the N. u. r. delegates
for Wednesday. The eleventh hour
arrival of Thomas gave rise to the
hope that between now and that date
he will be able to check the pro- strike
movement Of the railmen.
Alarming reports are coming in
from South Wales, however, where
the railway men, closely allied with
the miners, with whom they work
hand in hand, are said to be deter
mined to walk out regardless of the
decision of the unions executive body
or the membership as a whole.