The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-03
SAYS MINE CRISIS
 MEANS EFFORT ID
 LOWER STANDARDS
British Labor Regards Strike as First Round in Struggle to Prevent Drastic
 Change
By ARTHUR HENDERSON

Former Menimber War Cabinet
 tcppSrirht. es1 Pe Pssi. bS % he The AEe-Hsraid)
 Crhe miners strike brings Brit
 ish industry to a critical stage. and
 Mr. Henderson declares nm effort
 Is being made to drive the miners
 to n lower standard or living than
 they enjoyed before the war. He
 agrees with Maximilian Harden
 that Europe Is in more danger
 from reaction in Germany than
 from abortive communistic at
 tempts.)
 London, April 2.-(Special. )-The critical state of British industry is indicated by the gravity of the min ing situation. There is virtually a complete stoppage of work. The at- tack on wages has developed more slowly in this country than in the United States and the mining crisis is the first untoward event, It may, however, be but forerunner of simi- lar troubles in other industries as the attack develops.
 Lnuer ,ne terms of the settlement of tne ni4n4ns strike last November, the tinIneIs ane. owners were 10 prepare q scnelne Tor tne regulatIon or wages on natIcnal pasis uy Mafcn 5l. me cmpIvy erS, MItn tne reimbursement Or contrui Oy the sUN ernment, are propos- lng nov d res u.atlon or wages vy dis- lflcta insteau ndlaonaIls. IHe ac- ceptanee oI ,n.s seneme Uy the miners tfatt the miners 1ederauon, when is tho most powerful sngie inousrriai or ganIzation in the country.
 Moreover, the owners scheme ln- volVed d serIous reduction Tn wages Whicn would be general throughout the industry and would lower tac miners standard Of liVlng to pelow lie re-war standard OBVIOUSLY the miners will not wlllingly accept suca d drastic change. l. ,neir resistance Is proAen, however, ana the terms ln- posed, the prospects of future peace In the mining industry would De dlsmas indeed.
 British labor regards the mining crisis as the first round in the strug gle against an attempt to depress the standard of living of the workers through wage reuuctions. The National Union of Railway Men and the Tran. . port Workers Union, who with the miners, constitute a formidable triple alliance will meet In separate confer ence early the coming week to consider what steps they shan take.
 INTEREST VEERED
 The strike naS Neereu Week -end in teresl away from the German prob lem, but it is we'll to set down that the recent sporadic riots in that coun try demonstrated not so much for midable communistic danger as dan gerously unsettled internal cond1t Ions.
 Acute suffering and misery render large masses Of a population easy prey to either revolutionary or reae tionary extremists. The latter would not hesitate to incite disturbances un 3 der the guise- of communism if those | disturbances would assist in breaking the republican form of government and help realize the cherished aim of a re- stored monarchy with the Hohenzols Tern dynasty once more on the throne. fs.a France has much less to fear from a defeated and demilitarized Germany. quit of the Kaiser and his fire-eating entourage, than of pre-war Germany at the height of her military glory Ac- cordingly, the allies, in their dealings with the Germany of today, ought to make sure that they do not play into the hands of the reactionary clements by aggravating internal conditions so
 
 archists or communists to destroy a democratic government by the aid of antolerablc economic conditions from which virtual slaves would seek to escape at any price.
 The Kapp rebellion and the more recent riots are not mere incidents but warnings which the allies would do well to take note of.
 ADOPTS NEW ROLE
 II Is because British la sistance to the reactionary European policy of the allles, and the dangerous internal policy of the British govern ment that Lloyd George, the prime minister. has adopted the role of ;i new Saul of Tarsus, anxious to de- stroy the so-called revolutionary men, ace, to well ordered society.
 It is not the \allies who have rem dered futile the bolshevist attempts to inculcate their doctrines into other nations of Europe, it is British labor
 Neither Paris nor Washington is the rallying center of working class thought against communism. That center is in London. Yet. with sueh M indisputable facts before him, the prime minister has launched his mis- guided campaign of misrepresentation in order to discredit the most powerful, organized working class government In inc world and weaken the strongest pVttreSs asalnst bolshevist communism tnaf exists isl any country.
 The real explanation of his class war crusade is that British labor today is spearhead of enlightened opinion not only al home but throughout Europe. and its advocacy of real. democratic league of nations. military and maya; disarmament and peaceful interna- tional policy embracing sound eco- homie laws and the application of the principle of self-determination to Ire land and the empire as whole, render 1t the most formidable opponent to the forces of reaction at home ani their reactionary policy abroad.
 American films are great favorites in France and they are looked to for the