The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-04-16
By Felix Morley.
ARTICLE III.

London 1.-The recent Dy-electlol
results in England are something fal
more significant than 4 swing of the
political pendulum. The smashing
victories which the British labor NOV
ement is now recording at the polls
really express two deep psychological
changes in this country. The first OF
these is the growing political cOnsei
ousness of the trade unions. The second
is the growing realization on the part
of the so-called middle classes thai
the Labor party alone gives positive
and definite promise of better en-
Gland. Workers of hand and brain
alike are rallving to their party-the
Labor party-in tens of thousands, In
cvcr-increasing numbers they are eN'
pressing through the ballot their de.
mand for national and international
justice. "
The above is part of the answer 81
ven bv FdgertOn p. Wake, national
agent of the Labor party when |
asked him to account for the recent
remarkable triuphs of the political Ia
Dor movement in Great Britain.
Wakes office and the mechanics o.
his duties are closely akin to those
of the Republican or Democrat nation
al partv chairmen in the United States.
lie is the general entrusted with all
the major organization work of the
British Labor party and his efforts are
said to be largely responsible for the
singularly efficient political machine
which labor has built up since the
last general election. Yet to make al
personal comparison between Wake
and say, viii II. Hays, would be much
like comparing Abraham with Uncle
Joe Cannon. Like majority of the
British labor leaders the vision Of
their national agent is focused on the
horizon of humanity and not of pol.
itics.
Much of the present landslide TO-
the Labor party is due to the cIeareut
platform of policy on which every
election campaign is fought. This
program. generally known as Labor
and IT,, New Social order" was af-
firmed by the national executive com
mittec of the party when Labor with
drew from the coalition government at
the end of the war and is a striking
contrast to the tissue Of compromises
on which the unnatural Coalition party
and the Independent Liberals both
take stands. The Labor platform pro
vides in brief.
For a peace of reconciliation, lead
ing to world without military al
liances, economic barriers, or secret
diplomacy; for immediate peace with
s)viet Russia: for a reputation of
imperialism based on force, and for
complete self.control in Ireland, India
Egypt, and other subject peoples I'M.
der the British empire: for nationali
zation of the land and socia!izatiOn
with democratic control of I'll vital
public services, such as mining, rail.
roads, shipping, canals, electric power
supply, and milk distribution; for the
eonscription of wealth to pay war
debts, and for limitation of arma.
ments; for the characterization Of
education; for the complete abolition
Of military conscription, whether or
not veiled as "universal military train.
ing" for the immediate repeal of all
legislation restricting civil or indust.
rial liberty, including amnesty for all
political prisoners; for putting in hand
urgently needed public works as al
safeguard against unemployment, in
cmding the building of cat least a
million new houses" at the state s
expense, these to be let to the workers
in congested districts at moderate
rents; and for local potion in the IL
quor traffic.
This platform has a direct appeal to
the war.awakened social consciousness
of England and is in large part res.
ponsble for the present successes of
the Labor party. 1t is not as complet.
ely Socialistic as some desire, but il
certainly provides handful of stout
coffin nails for capitalism. 1t comp.
ares with the vague formulae of con
servatiyes and liberals as day compares
with night, and it has the outhstanding
virtue of being program indorsed
ungrudgingly by every element in the
labor movement without the internal
splits which are the most potent wea.
pom in the armory of the common foe.
a good party program combined
with an aroused social conscience are
fundamentals, but by themselves these
will never win a majority in parlia.
mentary government. There are other
important factors which must he un.
derstood to get at the reasons for
lahor's rapid rise toward political su,
premacy. One of these was touched
upon by Wake in speaking of "thc
growing political consciousness Of the