New-York tribune., 1921-04-16
Sudden Break i'm Ranks of
Triple Alliance Results
From Coal Workers.
Refusal to Meet Owners
Other Labor Bodies
Withdraw Support
Conference To-day Will
Decide Future of Walk
Out of Toilers in Pits
From The Tribunc's European Bureau
Copyright. 1921. New York Tribune Inr

From The Tribunc's European Bureau
Copyright. 1921. New York Tribune Inc.
LONDON, April 15.-The gen.
eral strike of millions Of workers in
sympathy with the coal miners,
scheduled to go into effect at 10
o'clock tonight, collapsed with dra-
matte suddenness this afternoon.
Labor's Triple Alliance split wide
open over the uncompromising atti-
tude of the miners toward the gov
ernment's peace proposals, and the
rallwaymen and transport workers
Cancelled their orders for a walk-out.
Tonight the whole British labor
world is in turmoil. There is.a
possibility of sporadic local stop.
pages of work, but the most impor-
tant bodies of workers, displeased
'y the refusal of the miners to nego-
tiate further, reversed their action
and decided to stay on their jobs.
Several lesser unions have followed
the move of the rail and transpor.
men in calling off sympathetic
strikes.
Miners Officials Quit
The miners will stay out, but il
is learned on good authority that
Frank Hodges, secretary of the
union, and several other officials, Of.
fered their resignation this morn
ing as the result of disapprovai n
the rank and file of the miners fed
Grafton of settlement proposals thas
Hodges agreed to. It was said that
the union refused to accept Hodges's
resignation.
Some confusion still exists as t.
whether the railwaymen and transport
workers have finally abandoned their
intention to strike. At the headauar-
ters of the former The Tribune's cor
respondent was informed that the rail-
waymen would pursue a hands-off
policy for the present. In the camp
of the transport workers one official
said: "The strike is Cancelled as far
as tonight is concerned ! can't say
anything beyond that"
Wrargle Ends Alliance Meeting
A meeting of the officials of this
Triple Alliance this afternoon ended in
general wrangle. Several leaders Of
other unions insisted the miners
have accepted the offer of the pit own
ers to forego all profits temporarily
If the miners would return to work.
In official circles the situation is still
regarded rs serious, but the crisis is
believed to have passed.
To-day's cycle of developments be-
gan shortly after midnight last night,
when Hodges, addressing g group of
members of Parliament, said that he
was willing, as the representative of
the miners, to negotiate a temporary
settlement. Members of Parliam ent
went in a body to Downing Street. de-
spite the lateness Of the hour, and in
invitations to the leaders of the miners
to meet him in fresh parleys.
simultaneously the pit owners agreed
to seek no revenue from the industry
until the poorer workers were assured
OF sufficient wage.
Soon it became evident that there
was a conflict between Hodges and his
colleagues in the miners federation.
The latter were adamant for ma
tional pool Of wages and profits, and
argued that he should not have offered
to discuss a settlement until this de-
mand was granted
Break Surprises Lloyd George
The owners assembled before noon
at the Board of Trade and waited for
the miners to appear, but they didn't
I ln,vI L e
ignorance of the dissensons that had
arisen in the labor ranks, and was in
the House OF Commons this afternoon,
outlining the governments plan to
meet the emergency, when word came
that the miners partners in the Triple
Alliance had withdrawn their support.
The whole city was confused by the
lightning changes in the situation, and
there was wide incredulity, for all be-
lieved the news was too good to be
true. Word of the cancellation of the
the workers who had arranged to sleep
tonight in improvised beds at their
offices to return to their homes.
The governments preparations for
the crisis were practically complete
when the collapse came Ali arrange
ments had been made to bring Lon
don's supply of milk in by motor truck
and notices communicating all private
automobiles for transport purposes
had been issued. Regents Park. or
dinarily playground, was the parking
place for the thousands of mobilized
government trucks bearing food and
other supplies. Troops continued to
pour into the city.
Hodges's Influence Big Factor
LONDON, April Is (By The Associ.
ated Press).-The situation tonight
was that the strike of the miners con-
tinued and that everything depended.
not as before on the amount of sun
port the miners could get from other
industries, but on the extent to which
Frank Hodges would be able to main
tain his authority over the rank and
file of the miners.
Mr.. Hodges's resignation was refused
by the miners at least until a national
conference of delegates Of the feder-
alton has been cali~d to discuss the
whole question. The date Of this con-
ference will he fxed tomorrow morn