New-York tribune., 1920-11-07
Unemployed Hurl Stones
Through Windows Of Gov
ernmenf Offices to En-
pErsizc Demand for Jobs
Becomes Serious Problem
Large Proportion of Men
Out of Work Are Ex-Sol.
diers, Registers Show
BY Harold f. SCARBOROUGH

rhe unemployment demonstration
which vas TO be staged on tho EN-
bsrkmcnt They displayed such an
absence OF disorder, such pcrfec.
alignment of their column Of fours.
that byssanders remarked upon it,
Yet loss than two hours later
mounted police. with drawn batons.
we're charging up and down Whitehall
Downing Street was battle-ground.
and rocks were crashing through the
windows Of government Offices in the
Nest End
true. the riotng was tame COM
pared with what American readers ex-
rect from European disturbances in
these days Of popular risings. There
~ss 10 shooting and nobody was killed,
although fifty were injured. But TO
appreciate the real' sign gnticance of such
all event in the British capital, mag
me that 5000 people had assembled
oegore the white House in Washing
ton; that they had broken down the
fence about its grounds and had been
stopped only ten yards from the front
porch that they had hurled rocks
through tn" windows OF the STATE,
War and Navy Building. and that its
doors mad been closed and barrlcaded.
That parallel is not BIT 100 drastic.
Heads were broken within ten wards
% the front door of - Downing Street,
ard tire next day 100 openings where
paHea Of window glass ought to have
ocen were evident in WHITEHALL
inst the Cnemployed'
:, During, the police charge down
Northum berland Avenue, where the
scene of battle had shifted at about
O'clock, discovered that | had an
uYgen, engagement in tobacco shop
which stands near the junction OF the
ATenue and the Embankment. Several
other persons had felt the urge TO pur-
chase tobacco at the same moment. ln
iact, the open door. of that little store
Na3 about as good ar advertisement as
the owner could have wished at the
lime.
He was no. at all disconnected by
the sudden boom in trade. Instead. he
stood calmly behind his counter. there
By imposing on those in the shop
rather moral obligation to make pur-
chases. Nothing in his bearing sug-
sested that he thought his popularity
11s due to the strategic location Of his
store.
ooh, it's Tho unemployed" he said,
IN deorecatory sort OF manner, an
Hering some ones question. "The gov
ernment ought to do something about
And that is about the verdict OF the
nan in the street-or, rather, OF the
.Aan who was in the street until the
street became too exciting for medita-
ion.
Police Patient
The Morning Post the next morning
poke OF Bolshevi0m, and The Daily
Herald OF the wanton brutality OF the
police. There is no more chance Of
Ro!shevism in England than there is OF
An Irish invasion, and the police exhib-
tied as !nuch restraint as could have
been expected In the circumstances
more, in fact, than might have becn
ooked for.
A street riot is no pink tea More
over, the police had friends and rela-
tircs in the crowds. They carried out
their orders, ana no more.
Anyhow. the fare-up was violent
enough to convince The government
hat something would have 70 be done
aDo-, it. When the mayors o. fifteen
london boroughs left Downing Street
Noncay afternoon they had the Pre-
mier's promise that The government
would defray half OF the expenses Of
projects designed to provide employ
ment for the idle if the London County
Council also would contribute 80 per
cent. SO the next day the council met
not without considerable disorder II
The galleries. by the way) and appoint
Cd committee to cooperate with the
government. The money has not vet
been appropriated. but there is little
Joubt that It will be.
10000 to 100000 Idle
Now that the Unemployment problem
las come definitely IN the front, it T.
krer IN ha hat 1ou
been smo!dering dangerously foY some
time. The Unemployment Registers Of
the kingdom have shown from 10000
to 100000 men idle each week for sew
raj months. A large proportion OF
these are eX-SerVicc men. One or two
enterprising newspapers have pub
lished "experiences" Of these mon in
search OF work, and one was struck by
rhe daily mention of nothing doing at
the Labor Exchange" or similar
phrases.
are not fitted for any civilian work.
Thousands Of them were mere boys
Ah-n they "ioined up" six years ago.
They had not left school, many of
Them. And during the six years when,
N ordinary times. they would have
been learning trades or getting estab
ishd in business thsS We're training
Ia the worst school in the world for a
settling down process. Some OF them
are drawing unemployment pay hut il
10 pitifully Inadequate in these time.
~ high prices. .,t,.
Yet. curiously enough, there is work
begging 70 be done. England needs
100000 new dwellings. for instance;
needs them badly. There Are new roads
to be built. These two projects alone.
eushed at full speed, would mora than
ab.orb the surplus Of unemployed.
Then Why not set the 10000 eX-scr-
ice men (the present idle totsl) a.
work on these houses and these roads
Premier Blames Unions
That is to be dore-at last. MIR.
Lloyd George, speaking in the Com
mons, announced the governments
readiness to embark on such a scheme.
Re laid part of the blame on the
trade unions for refusing 70 relax their
rules with regard to apprenticeship
sor the benefi. Of the onct:me soldiers
and sailors. There were 65, 1000 fewer
skilled men in the building Trades. he
said, than at tho outbreak OF the war.
The unions also we're being asked to
allow the absorption Of additional men
in the crafts Of foundry trades. iron
puddlers and railway carriage builders.
But the proposals. 10 the Unions were
not made until October 6. it appears.
80 that while they undoubtedly are to
blame for part of the delay. they
,anrot fairly bs'- aaddled with it ali.
whether or not they Will accept the