The New York herald., 1921-04-14

Leaders OF the Triple Alliance in de-
ciaring a unanimous decision In sup
port Of the miners assert that otner
unions are seeking 10 join them. Ihey
insist their members will so on strike
at 10 o'clock Friday night to suppor'
the demand by the miners for ma
t;cpal wage pool to maintain the pres
ent scale Of wages in the poorer pils
and also A pooling of profits. The GOV
n-n,,ert met the wage demand hall
way. but declared pooling OF proits
impossible.
n the strike becomes effective Fridas
night IL means that the railroad men,
the tramway men, the 'busmen' the
larry and taxicab drivers and the tupe
vori1ers will quit work The consensus
4 that the Seamen's and Firemen
yTa,on, which is ballcting on the strike
s3ostion to-day viii join the strike wv
-.axeiy, although HavelocN hson,
prtsiaent OF this union, said to- ,ay tnat
4 ajority OF his union members VINO
have voted are against strike.
May Darken London.
Tonight the railroad engine drivers
Indicated they would so out Win the
. others, while the electricians ana the
general workers appear most nkeiy 70
follow a strike call soon. The result
may be that nearly 100000 men IN the
British Isles may be idle by Saturday
Such a walkout would affect al least
5000, 900 persons. including the strikers
and their dependents The industrial
paralysis that would follow in this
country would throw millions Of other
workers out of employment. the eiec-
trical workers Of London tonight
threaten to go out. which may lead to the
city being In darkness.
Herbert Smith. president of the Ma
tionaI Miners Federation. and Frank
Hodges, general secretary of that or
ganization, made public tonight
statement in which they gave their rea-
sons for refusing the Governments
scheme for a strike settlement They
declared that when the Government de-
ciined to grant national pool OF mine
profits 1t refused the one essential con-
dition of settlement" They asserted
that when the mine owners Indicated
they would not grant the miners de-
mand in this connection the Govern
mant accepted this attitude by the
owners as sufficient proof that the
miners demand was not practicable
They charged that the Government de-
liberately took the sid5 OF the mine own
ers, and declared they, as executives OF
the Miners Federation, had done every
thing In their power TO effect reason
able settlement of the dispute, They as
serted that 'in loyalty TO their wives ana
families and 10 the workers in other m
dustries the miners had mo choice but
to refuse" to permit their scheme OF ma
tional negotiation to be wrecked ana 20
agree to a reduction In pay which IN
4 ham
to prewar standards OF living.
Tonight the Government in reply IN
sits that the proposals offered the
miners had all the principles involved
in a national board OF wages.
Tonight the Government is asking
openly:
!, "Is II revolution
Labor is answering in the negative
However, the Government recognizes
that there is sinister element seeking
to take advantage OF the situation that
would result from the chaos OF gen
cral strike by labor here, an element
that is inspired by Moscow. whether or
not Moscow's connection with II con-
tlnued after the signing Of the Anglo
Russian trade agreement in which both
Governments agreed not to undertake
propaganda against one another. Com
petent observers believe that this Boil
shevist element in British labor is small.
Slim Fein watched.
Also the Government recognizes that
the Sim Fein. OF whom there are many
sdherents and sympathizers in the most
important centres here. win seek by
every turn to aid their cause. How
over, the Government Is keeping tight
grip on Ireland.
While members of the Government
refuse to believe that the strike here Is
essentially revolutionary in character,
they frankly admit that II II Is not
beaten in 3 short time a revolution
might be precipitated through there be-
ing millions Of unemployed and hungry
people. Therefore. they are renewing
the call to the colors. and the result
las been eminently satisfactory. they
say.
There are still a few serious points
OF trouble. like Fifeshire, where real
Red raid was made In the freight yards
at midnight last night. But officials
say those points are being protected by
troops.
It Is mainly the Government that ia
stressing the possibility OF revolution.
Labor leaders profess to believe they
can hold their men in an orderly way.
strike at all, but merely an heroic eff
fort by labor 10 prevent capital cut
ting wages below the cost of sub
sistence and also to prevent the loss
of all the advantages labor hero has
gained during the last seven years
Moderate labor leaders like Mr..
Ciynes. John Henry Thomas and Ar
thur Henderson tonight are trying to
find a common ground for agreement.
They do not seem willing to resort to
the issue Of a general strike and possi-
bly, revolution. But they find labor
united behind them and insisting that
they, as labor leaders. res!st to the ut
most any effort toward a general reduc-
tion In wages.
Last night these men came into the
situation and succeeded In efYecting q
postponenlent Of quick strike action
They are themselves tied UP in the re-
cent negotiations, however, and they
cannot well so back on the positions
they have taken. Tonight they signed
the new manifesto which definitely com
mltted the railroad men and the trans
mort workers TO strike Friday and an
nounclna that 1T was not political
fght-"
The Government is preparing 20 NEE,
the challenge By the miners representa-
tives that II Is siding against them and
with the mine owners. The Cabinet met
tonight, after which the Prime Minis.
ter's letter was sent 70 the Triple ALL
ance.
Drisk Volunteer Enlistment.