Evening star., 1920-10-18
R|OT|NC IN LONDON
AS IDLE W0RKMEN
AND POLICE CLASH
Thousands of Unemployed
Storm Downing Street.
so Hurt in Disorder.
RED FLAG is CARRIED
TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Serious Disturbances Feared as
Price of Food Goes Up-Hope
to End Miners Strike.
BY the Associated Press

to End Miners Strike.
BY the Associated Press
LONDON. October 1s.-A deter
mined attempt by procession of sev-
eral thousand unemployed men and
women. majority of them formerly
in the service. to hold demonstra-
tion in Downing street this afternoon
terminated in clash with a large
force of patrolmen and mounted po-
lice which had formed a Gordon at the
entrance to the thoroughfare. Fifty
persons were injured during the trou
bic, which lasted more than an hour ,
score of whom were sent to hos
pitfalls.
The mounted police were compelled
TO draw their sword sticks and ride
into the surginE throng. a part OF
which stampeded into adjacent side
streets breaking down fences and iron
railings
While the police were dispensing
the large part of the mob which re-
mained in Whitehall. upon which
Downing street abuts, a crowd which
had taken refuge in Richmond ter
race opposite the entrance to Down
ing street began throwing stones and
bits of iron at the police and through
the windows of government Office
buildings nearby.
The police made repeated charges
before the demonstrators gave UP the
attempt to enter Downing street.
where the official residence of Pre-
mier Lloyd George is located.
When the trouble was over White
hall was Strewn with litter of stones
and other missiles, hats, caps and the
like
A number of persons were injured
when a crowd. headed by the red flag
of the Tottenham district socialist
and labor party. made a determined
rush and tried to break through the
police. Eventually, the red flag was
captured.
The deputation TO the premier con-
sisted of fifteen heads of London bu-
reaus asking relief for the unemployed.
The disorders were still proceeding
when the deputation emerged from the
premier's official residence at No. IL
Downing street, and tried to quiet the
crowd.
Red Flag at TraasIgar.
At the same time a small party Of
demonstrators went to the neighborine
Trafalgar Square. set up a red flag.
sang the "Internationale" and cheered
veloped here. however the police not
interfering.
In Whitehall the police finally dis
persed the rioters.
III COuucCtlOH WIN the Sen0ing OF
the deputation to the premier a parade
of 10000 of the unemployed had been
planning to march to Downing street
as demonstration. After the disor-
ders had subSided the parade of the
unemployed reformed and continueu
toward Trafalgar Square in an orderly
manner, escorted by the police.
Fifty injured persons were given
treatment when the trouble ended
Twenty of these were sent to hospi-
tails.
In connection with the character of
the demonstration 1t was pointed out
that the appearance of a red flag in a
demonstration here does not necessar-
lily have particular significance.
The injured treated included two
policemen and one woman.
Coal Supplies Under Control.
All available supplies of coal have
been placed under government con-
troll.
The country awaited anxiously a
report from the meeting held this
morning of the council of transport
workers, which includes more than
twenty unions. covering the lockers.
the bus and tram workers. the COM
coal trimmers at the ports. The
council, however. after a private meet
ing adjourned unkl tomorrow with
out announcing its policy.
Meanwhile J. H. Thomas. John r
Clynes and other prominent labor
compromise. while the government. al
though making no move. let il be
known it was quite ready to ne
gotiate.
Two other meetings which might
have vital effect on the situation
were expected to be held today. One
was a conference between the Trans
port Workers executive and the Ma
tional Union of Railwaymen's execu-
tive. The other was joint meet.
ing of the executives of the labor:
party, the labor members of parIi-.
ment and the trade union congress.
which would bring together all the
big labor leaders.
Some Favor strike.
While the national leaders as a.
whole are saying little. there are
some of them who have declared in
favor of a sympathetic strike. notably
in Scotland and at Barry Wales, an
important coal depot.
The newspapers are making much
of the fact that while the strike is
completely effective there are csnsid-
cradle sections of the miners who en-
tered it half half-heartedly and only
because they were ordered so to do The
West Yorkshire miners are among
those who disapprove of the strike. all
though declaring they will stand by
the others.
The miners of the vital South
Wales coal fields represent the bell
ligerent sections of the strikers The
bulk of the extremists of the fedora
ton are to be found here. and they
are eager to carry on the fight to the
bitter end.
Thousands Out Of Work.
With the shipping. steel and iron
and other industries already hard hit,
many thousands OF men are out of
work this morning in various parts Of
the country, and il seems certain by
the end of the week that the total will
be many scores OF thousands unem-
ployed, as numbers of factories will
be able to operate only short time
without new stocks of coal.
The general public already has be-
gun to feel the effect of the restric-
tions on coal supplies for lighting and
for storing away. The people awoke
today to find themselves faced with
sharp fall weather which demanded
either fires or warmer clothing. II the,
cold snap continues it undoubtedly will
have an important effect upon the
coal situation.
No disorders of any description
have ben reported.
Pound Drops to &S.44.
One effect Of the coal strike upon
financial London has been the weak
ening of the pound sterling, which
dropped to $3.44 on buying orders to
cover actual and prospective coal
shipments from United States to
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