The Washington herald., 1920-03-07
BRITAIN FEARS
LABOR REVOLT;
RADICALS
London Kept IN Suspense
By Rumors Of Efforts to
Upset Government.
SCORN FOR AMERICANS
Newspapers and Billboards
Used In Denouncing
U. S. Foreign Policy.
SCORN FOR AMERICANS
Publie Ledger Serviee-special
Correspondent)
By Carl w. ACKERMAN.

Publie Ledger serviee-special
Correspondent)
BY CARL w. ACKERMAN.
London. March 6.-There Is an at
mosphere of suspense and agitation
in London today. One senses inn
pending changes. Everyone appears
to expect something to happen
something great perhaps interna-
tionaL Apparently. I have arrived
in England at the period Of calm
that Inevitably precedes . storm
On the lips I hear Il spoken; In
the press each day read that magic.
tragic word-"revolution."
There will be great changes.
an old friend tells me. The old
parties are dead" says another.
Even such an old aristocrat as Lord
Haldane says the future" looks to
labor. There Is an open, active.
ceaseless campaign in favor of for
NAL recognition of the Soviet gov
ernment of Russia People talk of
"conscripting capital A daily
newspaper firebrand advocates the
"swatting' of America Ten men
and one woman argue religion all
one Sunday Afternoon in Hyde Park.
Dance clubs and theaters are crowd
ed and so are the streets-but in
and through IL all Is the fog of
suspense.
This is my first visit to London
since early in the war. I had been
led to believe there had been great
changes, and there have been. in
politics. society and religion. Even
the press has changed. There are
more houses in exclusive residential
regions for rent because of the
Servant problem" Virtually no
new buildings are being erected. A
statue to Edith Cavell is about fin
ished. Streets are lighted again,
but they still seem dark.
There are not many new auto
mobiles. Nothing like the number
OF private cars pass in the streets
that one sees in any city in the
United States. London Is not wear
ing its gasoline jewels like Phila-
delphia or Detroit. nor does It dis
play its furs as does Minneapolis
and St. Louis. London looks poor
that is. the London outside the
hotels and dance clubs-but I am
told by others who have been here
longer and who recently have Wis
tied the United States that there
is the same reckless expenditure
everywhere. r
The munitions workers wear furs.
they say; and three business men
/ met in the last two days told me
they were trying to economize by
wearing out their old clothes and
having their shoes half-soled.
kA q. -
l. money. those who are in business
and who have their own labor
problems" those who feel the
change coming, are saving actual
cash when possible. They are nei-
ther investing nor indulging in lux
uries. Their motto seems to be to
play safe" One never can tell how
many of those citizens there are.
Then there is a second class of
Londoners. They are the very
wealthy citizens, who always have
lived and enjoyed life without as
suming any outside responsibilities.
Today they are afraid" there will
be changes" They fear their
wealth will be confiscated by the
state, in some form or other, before
long. so they are spending it. Eat.
drink and be merry" they say, "for
tomorrow we may be poor" 1 do
not know what per cent of the pop
ulation might include these inhabit-
ants. Publicly, they act like the
newly rich, and their number is fc-
gion.
Glimpse OF the Powerful.
The other evening dined at one
of the clubs where the diners dance
between courses. In company with
two other correspondents, rnoticed
one middIe-aged. powerful and tall
flaxeu- haired woman attracting the
attention of half the cafe by her
broad. s"lf-confident smile. and the
manner in which she was dancing
W. Z, hunchback. two heads short
er than she was. She wore what ap-
peared to be an expensive silk
guw~. a pearl necklace. several dia-
mond rings and four platinum jew
eied bracelets
. After the dance she walked over
to table next to ours and remark
ed to the friends who greeted her:
"Dort you think I am doing won
derful?-and / have had only five
lessons"
One of my companions was a Brit
fish journalist. She's the sister of
Bill White" he said, who made a
million in shipping"
In addition to those two classes of
postwar British citizens, there are
two others-the serious. earnest
workers. who are not dreaming of,
but striving for, an Industrial de-
mocracy, and the clear-headed, far
seeing business men, who are con-
WINGED that sensational changes
in industry. society and politics are
impending and are working hard to
assume the leadership when the new
order is ushered in, although they
may not succeed.
The future of England today Is