The Mena weekly star., 1920-10-21
INDUSTRIAL CRISIS
 IN GREAT BRITAIN
Mine Strike Puts 100000 Men Idle, More May Quit-Troops are Held ir Readiness--Situation to
 Parliament This Week.

London, Oct. 16.-One million coal miners laid down their tools at midday today and according to J. H. Thomas. railway leader. at least another mil lion men will be out of work before the end of next week. Thus has be- gun the strike which has been con- tinued menace to British industry for weeks past and which at the best will cause serious setback in the process of reconstruction in which Great Brit ain has so far been signally successful by comparison with other great com batants in the world war. It is on this ground, perhaps, more than other, that the outbreak of industrial conflict at this time is regretted by the shrewdest observers here. Altho the hopes of immediate intervention which might bring about an early cessation of the strike are practically abandoned. Lloyd George and the other cabinet ministers directly concerned, are re- maining in London over the week end and It IS expected that various efforts will be made to open up an avenue for settlement
 Labor Not United.
 The government will not make the first move and on their side. the ex- ecutives of the miners federation is- sued statement tantamount to say ing their patience is up and that the men have lost faith in the government. This attitude, however, does not pre- clude the intervention of the third parties and so many of the labor lead CTS are convinced of the inopportune- ness of the strike, to say the least, that their best efforts will be given to the task of finding a bridge. John Clynes, Laborite, said today:
 The country's miners and workers generally were never in less fit con- dition for prolonged industrial strug- gle"
 He declared that nothing could pay the miners better than to get half of their wage demand now and let the other half be solved within as near date by tribunal upon which both sides agreed.
 J. II. Thomas is expected to play the leading part as peacemaker He Ott4J ACtuln ntU " AfuiluOH lIOtll biit COil- tinent this morning and is careful not to commit himself to any declaration of policy, but the people who spoke with him drew the impression that his influence will be all on the side of settlement by compromise and partic- ularly of limiting the struggle as far as possible.
 "Go slow" is his advice to his own railway mems union, which will hold meeting next Wednesday to con- slider it's attitude. There is small ex- pectation at the present that the other miners will rush headlong into the strike out of sympathy for the miners, altho a circular issued to all branches of the National Union of Railwaymen by Secretary c. T. Cramp, lays some stress, on "the serious situation which would occur if the miners were to be defeated"
 Settlement Hoped For.
 'sWe shall win or go down fighting" declared Frank Hodges, the miners secretary. But as is said by several of all shades of opinion what the gen. eral public want is not to see the min CTS or anyone Selse % down fighting, but see a settlement that shall be just bt bft1 Hilfitlc c anu Jaok bc ttAN ~NhsiiNta- ity. There is no large measure of sup port for the theory advanced in some quarters that a fight there must be and the sooner it is over the better.
 The manifesto which the prime minister issued today has on this ground not excited the criticisms evoked by the charges he made dur ing the previous crisis, that of labor having gone over to the Bolsheviki Lloyd George merely states the gov ernment's case, appeals to citizens to help in the emergency and concludes: 4. ssNo one will be dismayed. We have been thru much more difficult times. With steady purpose and de- termination to do justice the nation will overcome all its difficulties" No disturbances are reported, and no troops have been sent to the mining centers, but thev are held in readiness. The sugar ration will be cut 50 per cent Monday.