Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-10-22
RAY OF HOPE
SEEN IN STRIKE
British Coal Miners Delegates
Call Meeting for
Saturday.

LONDON, Oct. PA meeting Of coal
miners delegates was called for Saturday
By the Federation of Miners, giving rise
90 hopes In some quarters that eleventh.
hour negotiations would be opened with
the government in time to avert threat
ened national strike of the railway men
and the transport workers.
Mass meetings Of railway employees viii
be held throughout the country over the
weekend to discuss the strike question.
Britain was being put on war basis
today.
Confronted by virtual industrial revo-'
luton, the government introduced In Par
lament an emergency bill, giving 1t war
time powers, the right to use military
forces for any purposes, and authority 10
ration and control all resources.
The transport and railway workers
stood nat on their threats that failure
to make a quick settlement with the
miners viii mean wa to the finish be-
tween the working class and the gov
.ernment.
Fears that the struggle viii develop
frnto an industrial revolution with de-
msAds for the complete naturalization
OF certain branches of industry, notably
the mines and railways, were intenslnea
hv thu action of the railway men ana
the transport workers
n the rail- men and the dock workers
make the tie-up complete, Great Britain
IL threatened with a suspension OF ran
traffic. maritime traffic and absolute
sfarnation of all factories as well as
fuel famine and an acute food shortage
GOVERNMENT VIEWS
THREAT AS HLUFF.
Union and government representatives
admitted the gravity Of the situation
Fh1 VII
threatened strike Of railroad workers
was a blum to force opening negotiations
with the miners.
An official pointed out that Of the
tbree divisions of rail workers that at
Leeds is non-committal on striking. biy-
erpool is opposed and South Wales is
anxious to strike.
The government believed large num-
hers OF railway workers viii remain at
their tasks If a strike is called
Officials professed themselves unlm-
pressed by the threats Of Robert Williams
and other radical leaders of the transport
men and railroaders.
At the same time Premier Lloyd George
has informed the House Of Commons
that the situation was serious.
He had not given up hope.
IT developed that Lloyd George con-
ferred unofficially yesterday afternoon
with Frank Hodges, vice president OF
the miners federation, and William Brace
and Vernon Hartshorn, labor members
of Parliament.
It was supposed. they were attempting
to find some satisfactory way OF reopen
ing negotiations.
It was said officially today 100000
now are jobIess in England and 100000
have applied for relief donation.
TRADES UNION
MEETING CALLED.
Declaring the matter so important
that British labor must act as a unit in
determining procedure, the parliament
tary committee Of the Trades Union Con-
gress today called for meeting OF the
entire congress next Wednesday,
The call was. issued ito consider what
help we must give to insure a settlement
OF the miners demands"
.aThe situation is so important that
unions should not be left TO act in
divizually," the call said
The congress represents all British