The New York herald., 1921-04-11

Special Gable to THE NEw YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1921. by THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
London, April 10.
Communistic influence and advice,
backed by pressure and gold from Mos
COW. are behind the British coal strike.
according to a high source of the British
Secret Service. 1t is the first serious
menace of the Red tide against the Brit
ish Isles, with the aim to food all British
industries and drown capitalism.
Direct radical agitation has been going
on for months, and as proof Of the infiu-
ences behind the extreme drift of the
labor leaders intelligence has been re-
ceived that the very mining districts
Which are now the hottest centres of UNI
rest are the districts selected for the
first planting of the seeds of Sovietism.
Among the men reported to be identi-
fed with the Red Internationale move
ment are Robert Williams. head of the
transport workers in the Triple Alliance
z. " Williams. head of the Yorkshire
miners. and Tom Mann. well known Lon
don labor leader. Such leaders as j. III.
Thomas of the railwaymen. John r.
Clynes, NJ p; John Hodge, secretary of
the miners, and Arthur Henderson the
British Secret Service agents do not be-
lieve are connected with the agitation.
To the contrary. they are fighting the
sinister undercurrent with all their
strength.
THE NEW YORK HERALD correspondent
has been informed tha. the movement
took head last summer when a man
named Murphy. after travelling as
stowaway. became a full fledged member
Of the Russian Soviet organization, con-
suited the big leaders and returned with
a programme for establishing commun-
ism in England, first on a small scale
in the most receptive districts and then
by propaganda and organized agitation
to cause its spread among the workers.
Men of certain influence rallied to the
Red cause. Local councils were started,
first at Fife, Lanarkshire and Rhondda.
where they got good footing, and later
councils were set up in Yorkshire and
planned for the Durham and Wales dis
tricts. Propagandists were paid f6
weekly to spread the doctrine. The ex-
penses were paid largely out of fund
of $4,000 supplied by Moscow for this
work Within the last few weeks Lon
don council has been formed The gen
( eral aim of the programme was control
/ OF the mines by the workers, with agi-
| tation for national wage, q five day
week. six hour day. full pay for all
| holidays and no income tax.
The English agents are supposed to be
constantly In touch with Moscow, and 1t
was planned to have delegates from here
attend the meeting of the Red Interna-
tionale next July. The plan was a part
of Moscow's bid for world Soviet.
There were plans for extending the agi-
tation to the railway men and other
labor organizations, so as to bring all
under a single head. directed and con-
trolled from Russia.
Lenine is reported TO have decided
that this method was slower but more
sure than using the force Of arms, and
had arranged to carry on the same
system In all countries. The agitators
working in England are known TO the
secret service agents and they have
been closely watched for many weeks
The Governments information regard
ing these activities undoubtedly Is re-
sponsible to a large degree for the
extensive precautions that have been
taken. An example of the manner in
which the Government is outflanking
the radicals was given at Fife. where
about fifty miners marched to "A pit
head Saturday morning to see what
damage they could do and to their sur
prise found battalion Of troops await
ing them The troops had arrived un-
der cover Of darkness with the utmost
secrecy and nobody in town knew OF
their presence.
The general movement Of troops has
been kept secret. largely TO defeat the
plans of the Red agitators Last week
troops were despatched TO the disturbed
districts by cruisers, which landed them
at the nearest point In the night time.
The Government refuses TO reveal the
number of troops thus moved except to
say "a very considerable number"
Quick action on the part of the Gov
ernment has blocked Red agitators and
prevented communism gaining much
headway.