New-York tribune., 1920-08-15
Anxiety Like
That of 1913
Grips Europe
Situation Growing Out of
the Russian Crisis Com
parable Only to Times
of Great German Drive
Two Momentous Events
Direct Action by English La
Dor in Baking Premier
Unprecedented in History
By Arthur S. Draper

rFO0l rue ff3oANeS s european Bureau
Copyright, 1920. Nav York Tribune Inc
LONDON, Auti. 14.-Not since the
midsummer of 1918, when the Germans
were threatening to smash the Entente
defenses, has Europe had such a week
of nerve wracking anxiety as during
the seven days just ended. Two remark
able developments stand out in the
confusion of events. and both of them
are calculated to have far reaching
influence upon European politics.
Even the British themselves have
only just begun to get the full signif-
cance Of labors action in threatening a
general strike should the government
take belligerent steps against Bolshe-
vlk Russia. This is the first time in
history that a threat of direct action
has been made in political affair of
such Importance.
frequently labor has tlIatened gen.
eral strike for increased wages, shorter
hours, naturalization of mines and
railways, but there is no precedent for
direct action as a means Of stopping
war. This is not the decision of small
radical, pacific, revolutionary group
element of the great mass of trade
unionists In this country.
Labor United in Protest
Smillie and Tillet, John Ward and
Robert Williams, Ben Turner, George
Lansbury, Clynes Thomas and, in fact
every shade of political labor leader is
represented in the protest presented to
Lloyd George, who vas acquainted with
the workers attitude before he de-
livered his speech in Parliament de-
tining the governments polity toward
Russia
The Premier, who justifably enjoys
the reputation of being able to sense
public opinion quicker than any other
statesman in England, had to employ
all of his amazing parliamentary skill
to carry through his extremely mod
crate program. No one in the House
of Commons on Tuesday could fail to
detect that the Premier was trying to
satisfy both labor and Russia and also
the Poles and the French.
Only a diplomat of his cleverness
could have walked political tightrope
as he did. He satisfied labor and he
did not antagonize the Bolsheviki, but
he failed to please the French, who, on
the day following, exploded a political
bombshell which has shaken every
foreign Office in Europe.
For many months the British and
French have been drifting away from
the Anglo French Alliance. already en-
dangcred on numerous occasions
In the comfy of nations every at
tempt has been made to minimize these
differences and to gloss over sharp
Emergencies Of policy, pretending that
the two governments were seeing
things in the same light.
Commons Held in Session
With America pursuing policy OF
isolation it was highly essential that
the British and French should present
q united front against Germany and
Russia in middle Europe. The smash
ing Of the alliance born before the war
and strengthened materially during the
life and death struggle of five years is
something that no Briton or French
man dares consider for even q moment
Like thunder bolt came the news
of the French policy toward Russia
completely at variance with the an
nounced policy of the British and i'm
mediately following the conference held
by Lloyd George and Millerand. The
British premises told Parliament that
he could not believe the report of the
French action was accurate. The House