The New York herald., 1921-06-26

prices. The policy of the British work
ingman has come sharp up against
arithmetical realities just as the for
eign policy of our imperialists has
done. Unfortunately the labor leaders
who are perfectly aware how these
arithmetical sums work out have not
dared TO tell their men. Having led
them on to strike action by false
promises. they are now afraid to dis
Illusion them
They haven't told them. For in
stance, that many of the poorer mines
will never be reopened because il no
longer pays TO work them. and thou
sands OF miners will be unemployed
even if they agree to accept lower
wages They haven't told these men,
especially in south Wales. that no for
cign countries are willing TO buy Welsh
export coal at anything like present
prices, so however they work there is
no chance whatever of the desired
margin of wages for the fun of life.
The painful truth is that poverty and
hard work must be the rule of English
life, NOT luxury and light work. This
fact is not yet being taught our men
by their leaders.
What is wanted is courageous lead
ership which will strip reality of all
illusion and bring men face to face
with the stern necessity for harder
work with longer hours and less wages
instead of indulging them In their
present belief that by political pres
sure they may have lighter work,
shorter hours and more wages.
Germans Accept situation.
The German people. taught by de-
feat are facing this necessity with
resolution and energy. They don't like
il. but they know the alternative is
ruin and starvation. That alternative
is the same in Great Britain. There
is no other way for recovery. As 1
mentioned in my last article, the Ger
man workers are toiling for fifteen
cents an hour. whereas British workers
are Stacking for forty-two TO sixty
cents an hour. That arithmetic does
not work out in terms of wealth for
British trade.
Meanwhile the British Government
is getting into hot water because of
it's refusal to grapple with the finan-
cial situation by severe economies and
policy of peace. reconciliation and
reconstruction within its power. Pre-
mier Lloyd George is losing his grip
upon the political machinery and pub
lie opinion. was told in the United
States that at the time of the Presi-
Dental election the question put was
not Are you against the League of
Nations?" but Are you sick and tired
of the present Administration? The
answer being. "By gosh, we are!"
The same question is being asked in
English boroughs and the same an
swer is being made on all sides.
must admit, however, that those gen.
tlemen who are winning seats from
Mr.. Lloyd Georges coalition and who
are calling themselves anti-waSte'
candidates are playing game of
humbug with the man in the street.
They are mostly reactionaries of the
Tory cast. whose idea of "anti-waste"
is not a policy of equal sacrifice in all
classes for the sake of the common
veal, but Is to safeguard their own
property and profits with labor beaten
to It's knees and tanned into the ac-
ceptance Of starvation wages. That
kind of ''anti-waste" is only going to
lead to trouble.
England. like most other countries
in the world, cries out for some new
nobility of leadership with far reach
ing vision of craftsmanship which will
inspire all classes with "A common zeal
for national service as strong as in
time of war but which is directed to
purposes of peace. So far this first cry
is unanswered. but somewhere or other
this new leader is biding his time. In
some cradle of life he is twiddling his
toes, perhaps.