The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-10-22
ENGLAND WILL REVIVE
OLD WAR REGULATIONS
AS COAL STRIKE LOOMS
Railway Men to Confer
With Mine Heads
Cabinet Meets.

London, Oct. 22-Latest de.
velepments In the strike situ.
alton arc to the effect that par.
lament will b asked to pass
IN emergency bill which viii !
revive the emergency war reg.
ulatisaA Homo Secretary
Short Introduced the emery.
ency strike bin.
English railway unions win
confer tomorrow with the min.
erv executives about possible
settlement proposals..
Locomotive engineers will de-
eide Friday whether or not to
walk out in sympathy with the
miners.
Premier Lloyd George is Ok.
pected soon to give out . state
mcat outlining the attitude Of
the government
Proceedings Of q cabinet
meeting have not been made I
public. -
Wales miners ask federation
to call national conference to j.
consider withdrawal Of all Ia
bor from mines so rs to render
pits useless.
Landon, Oct. 22.-Interest in the
miners strike and the threatened
walkout Of railroad and transports
workers throughout the country
was centered today on 10 Downingt
street, the official residence Of Pres
mier Lloyd George. Served with,
virtual ultimatums by the railroad
and transport men to begin nego-s
tiations with the miners today ON
pain of facing a tie-up Of railways
and possible other traffic on Sum
day night, the premier was expect-I
ed to make definite announceme1&i
of the stand the government WOULD
take.
Members of the cabinet held ~
long meeting last night, but the de-
c.sions reached were not made publ
lie. Indications Of political as!
we'll as an industrial crisis werc
found in the situation. it was de-
clared, and it appeared that labor
had joined issue with the govern
ment in a struggle which might be-.
come historic
In informal conversations with
men prominent in the councils OF
labor the premier has given no hint
OF weakening or receding from his
position. but to make it more dim-
cult for him to enter into negotia-
tions with the coal diggers.
Serious economic conditions aro
already becoming evident in some
localities as a result of the miners
strike, and there is a widening cir
Gle of idleness that causes concern.i
Drastic restriction of railroad and
shipping schedules has already BEEN
ordered, and many industrial plants
have been forced to close becauset
of lack of fuel. Is
The Irish Home Rule bill is UNDER
consideration in the house OF COM,
mons. The bill was taken up today
when the house went into commits
tee on the financial clauses OF the
measure. There was small attend.
ance of members.
The house, on motion Of Andrew
Bonar Law, the government leade1s
voted for immediate -terminationl
Of the suspension of Joseph Devlin,
Nationalist member from the Falls
division of Belfast. Mr.. Devlin.
was suspended on Aug. 6 during the
debate preceding the final passage
Of the Irish Coercion bill, when he
defied the chaiS to silence him.
Unusual whirlpool.
London, Oct. 22.-(United Press.)
was drifting into an un-
usual whirlpool today.
Coal miners continued on strike,
throwing thousands more workers
out Of employment The transport
and railway men stood pat on their
threats that failure to make a quick,
settlement with the miners wilt
mean war to the finish with the
working class and the government
Union and government repre-t
sentatives admitted the gravity Of
the situation. The government took
the view that the threatened strike
Of railway men was bluff to force
reopening Of the miners neg0tia-
tions.
One official pointed out that Of
the three divisions of rail work
ers, that at Leeds is non-committal
on striking; Liverpool is opposed
and South Wales is anxious to
strike.
The government believed large
numbers of railway workers Will
remain at their tasks II . strike d
called.
Officials professed themselves un-
impressed by the threats Of Rob-
ert Williams and other radical lead
ers Of the transport men and rail-
readers.
Premier Sffn Hopes.
At the, same time Premier Lloyd
George had informed the house Of
commons that the situation was se-
rious. He added he had not given
up hope.
1t developed that Lloyd CeOrgl
conferred unoficially yesterday aft.
ernoon with Frank Hodges. vicl
ipresident Of the miners federation,
William Brace and Vernon Harts
horn, labor members OK parliament
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