The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-15
Naturalization of Coal Mines
Chief Point at Issue.
Wage Increases Are Only Sec
Ondary in Impending Battle.
WALK-GUT SURE MONDAY
May Spread to All Great Indus
tries of England.
Every Effort to Compromise Is
Rejected by Union Men.

London, Oct. 15.-British coal min
ers will strike tomorrow.
EXECUTIVES of the Miners fedora
tion announced today that work will
cease Saturday in accordance with a
strike notice originally voted for Sep
tembcr 81 and twice postponed to per-
mi: negotiations.
The board of trade today ordered an
embargo on coal exports effective i'm
mcdiately.
Sir Robert Horne. president of the
board. declared the government had
decided to make no further effort to
reach an agreement, but that any ad-
vances from the minors would. be well
coined.
On War Basis.
The quick application of an export
embargo was taken to mean the gov
ernmcnt saw no hope of preventing
the strike. Officials in the transport
and food departments hastened to
complete their arrangements before
the coal supply was choked off. Pc
troll stations were stored as during the
railway strike.
1t was believed factories would be
compelled to shut down Immediately,
the matter of closing non essential
factories at once was under discussion.
Officers of the triple alliance. which
includes the miners. said nothing as to
what their policy would be.
O5tcnsibly. the strike is for higher
waTcs. All discussion of it, among
coal miners and others. centered
around the naturalization demands of
the extremists.
Rcd Revolt Feared.
English officials feared they faced
revolution today under the guise of
a coal strike.
Apparently all efforts at settlement
OF the controversy had failed. Miners
rejected every proposal submitted by
colliery owners and the government.
Ready for Battle.
Lloyd George told the miners lead
ers that the government had made
every proposal possible. The premier
said that the people were fortified in a
determination to endure the suffering
bound to be inflicted upon England
and Europe by the strike. by the fact
that the mine leaders had approved
the governments proposals. tho the
rank and file refused them.
The premier's proposals were an
swcred by Frank Hodges. vice presi-
dent of the Miners federation.
THE government is responsible for
the strike" Hodges said. THE
minors have conceded everything pos
sible. The government has exploited
our reasonableness and our position is
unassailable."
Want Nationalized Mines.
The basis for the hints of revolution
lay in the fact that the main demand
of the miners has been for nationali-
zation of the industry-seen by the
public as the first step toward the in
PRODUCTION of another form of gov
ernment and the overthrowing of par
liament.
The first strike measure adopted by
the government became effective to-
day when authorities at Newport, one
of the most important export centers,
forbade further shipping of coal.
While strike will be expensive for
the nation. the miners themselves will
lose five million pounds weekly in
wages.
Adding to the rumors of a deeper
meaning than a mere demand for in
creased wages were reports of red
activities in various parts of the United
Kingdom Bolshevik agents were
known to have operated in Scotland
and to have rounded up large bands
of followers. The possibility that Rus
sian influence would be felt in the
strike was admitted by government Of
ficials.