Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-24


v v English coal miners
strike. and another million
threatening to walk out within the
next three days unless adjustment of
the miners difficulties has been
elected, or steps toward this end are
assured, England faces her greatest
crisis since 1914. if indeed it is not
even greater than when German lesions
swept over Belgian and made England $
declaration Of war Imperative.
ON the face of events the great
strike crisis is a purely domestic is
sue, but back of it all lie hopes of
ir,:itition for the rapidly crystalhZing
effort of labor leaders of England to
make the British government more
and more SuhServient to the Will OF
the masses of the people. particularly
the general federated trade unions OF
the nation
Issue Long Standing.
Before the general elections. early
in 1919, at the very beginning OF the
Paris peace conference, labor of Eng
land made threats against the govern
ment. and only on promises of Premier
Lloyd George that the pressing do
mestic issues would be taken in hand
Immediately on conclusion of the in
ternational parleys in Paris was the
situation eased He promised them to
iron out all difficulties facing the
people through after-the-War ADJUST
ments The British government was
returnd to power in the general cleo
tions. but with augmented labor rep
resentation in parliament
At the time / personally received
assurances from such British labor
leaders as Ramsay Mcdonald and
I.ansdoune. that it was but question
of time until British labor, en- masse,
would precipitate crisis wherein II
could be expected that labor's inter
ests would be forever safeguarded,
and the government placed in posi-
ton where it could not interfere with
the progress of labor legislation;
would be in no position to resist ma :
tionaIization of carriers and indus
tries, one of the chief pianks in Brit
ish labor's platform
Some of the most conservative
thought in England. including many
government officials themselves, eX-
pressed to me the idea that rapid
strides would have to be taken in in. the e
issues if labor's hand was not
strengthened. In the present crisis
one not only sees anger at the 1aliure
of the government to eNpedltlously
care for the housing problem the ma :
tionaliZation issue, the Unemployment
question but all other of the Vex-
ing questions that have arisen in re-
construction processes.
People Are Burdened.
The people of England were bent
nv the heavy burdens thrust upon
them in the course of the world war
Today fuel. food. clothing and other
higher than they were even during
the war. There has been little
surcease from annoying burdens.
Until today it is not surprising to see
labor manifest some pubic protest
against conditions. But that this pro-
lest should take the form of Gripping
The fue, sources of the nation on the
eve of winter. that it should paralyze
transport lines, thereby increasing the
tremendous overhead expenses OF an
peoples residing inland. that 1t should,
through the medium of dockwork-
,rs' Walkout. cut England off from
her vital imports and exports in order
that immediate ills might be empha-
SEED. is going farther than even the
4jority of sober thinking, patient
English people will go.
The great triple tieup Will not pc
popular, and if the issue comes to
test of strength between the govern
ment and labor, as whole, there is
grave likelihood that 1T will usher IN
a period of bitter industrial reVoiu-
ron. the end of which no man dare
predict. AS long as the laboring ele-
ments of England remain in the coun-
sci of their more conservative leaders
there is every reason to befeVe tnat
some equitable adjustment of the
whole situation may be reached, for
ven the labor leaders themselves realize
the folly of going too far.
There always remains the plane OF
common sense compromise and inns
NAV be reached soon. but the serious
element injected into the question at
the moment is how far the LABOR
leaders themselves can control the
whole situation once general walk
out is ushered in. and how able tney
will be to combat ooisne'ist influence
in their own ranks
scotland Yard reveals the fact that
the bolshevik trade emissaries, kras-
sin and Kameneff, who, for many
months have been in England, osten-
sibly to effect trade agree n1tI - VII" thu