The New York herald., 1921-05-12
GREET Rail LABOR
CHIEF AS TRAITOR
Women OF Irish American
League Flaunt Banners
Before British Leader.
AVOIDS PIER CROWD
John H. Thomas. Passenger
on Olympic, Whisked
Away to Hotel.
DELEGATE TO A. +. OF L.
Man Who May Be Workers
Premier, Here With Daughter
for Long Visit.
DELEGATE TO A. +. OF L.

When John Henry Thomas, general
secretary of the National Union of
Railwaymen. one of the members of
the powerful Triple Alliance of British
labor. came off the Olympic at pier SO
Yesterday afternoon and looked out
into the street he saw dozen women,
members Of the Irish American Labor
League. parading with banners which
read:
Thomas Was Chased Out of Eng
land." Thomas Has Come to Amer
ica! Why?" Judas Hanged Himself;
Will Thomas Follow Suit?" Thomas
Is Here as the Emissary of Lloyd
George"
A shout of derision went up from
the crowd of women and longshore-
men when the labor leader was seen.
The crowd advanced toward the pier
and for few minutes things looked
ripe for a riot. But Thomas went back
into the baggage room. while the
guards heldsthe crowd back until police
reserves arrived from the West TWen-
tieth street station. Meanwhile there
was a hurried conference in the bag
gaze room attended by Thomas and
an official of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road. also James B. RegaH, former pro-
prietor of the Knickerbocker Hotel.
It ended by the party taking freight
elevator down to the street level and
eluding the crowd. Thomas was then
whisked away in a taXicab, secretly
but safely.
Just before he stepped into the freight
elevator he was asked if he had any
thing TO say about the signs.
Not n word" he said, Struggling his
shoulders and waving his hands in front
of him. "They are entitled to their
opinion Of me, and ! don't know why
they shouldn't parade If they want 10.
With Mr.. Thomas was his daughter,
Miss A. l.. Thomas. She stood during
the threatened riot toying with a small
handbag. and If she was the least bit
interested in what was happening. or in
what the banners were saying about lh.r
father her face failed to show IT,
The demonstration against Mr.
Thomas Is declared to be the direct re-
suit OF his action in the situation when
the Triple Alliance threatened TO strike
in sympathy with the British miners.
He is credited with having more infl1-
ence with British labor than any other
lsader When the crisis corne and .he
choice lay between one strike or a poG-
sible revolution he Joined his voice with
that of Lloyd George for conciliation
The result was that the British Empire
was saved from a sharp and disastrous
economic clash. If he had taken dill
ferent attitude the Triple Alliance would
have Joined the miners.
Mr.. Thomas refused to discuss the
British miners strike, his actions in the
negotiations. the possibility of his be-
coming the first Labor Premier or the
labor situation in the United States. He
insisted that his visit at this time when
things are still far from settled i'm Eng
land has no particular significance.
The strain of the last few weeks. he
said. was too much for his health. and
lie has come here to rest for an indef-
mite stay
II am broken in health" he said.
MY nerves are bad and my eyes bother
me. ! was here once before when l felt
like this. and l got all right again. SO
I'm trying it again.
He was asked If his visit here was to
study the railway situation. now that
the roads are back under private control
He said his visit had no such purpose
and added
why should | come here to observe
industrial conditions? England is very
different from America. English labor
too. is fifty years ahead of labor In
America. There is widespread miscon-
ception of the attitude of labor in Great
Britain toward the Government. The
truth Is that labor is a part of the cit
izenship. Labor realizes it the employ
ers realize it, and we understand each
other. In fact, we understand each other
so we'll that when employers want labor
they come straight to the unions 10
get it,"