The Washington herald., 1921-04-06
LONDON, ARMED
|CAMP, WAITING.
STRIKE ACTION
Government Determined
To Prevent Mass Dis
turbances.
lFATEFUL LABOR
| DECISION TO-DAY
Walk-Out to Affect Some
2 Million Workers.
Reds Active.
tspsei.I o.s,s 10 rAs xsr.,d.)


LONDON. April 5.-London is an
armed camp tonight. All day bat
talon after battalion with full war
kits, marched into the city. This
afternoon they began to pitch camp
in fashionable Kensington Garden
where hundreds of tents were
rushed UP. The troops brought all
ammunition with them.
No mention Of this dramatic de-
veiopment in the labor situation ap-
peared In the London newspapers.
the government being most anxious
not to provoke the restive workers.
the unemployed and the strikers
with the news of q big display OF
force.
Goyernnent Determined.
At the same time the government
Is determined and fully prepared to
use the army to suppress mass dis
turbances or attacks on property.
Other troops with tanks have been
moved into the mining areas with
orders to safeguard property and
preserve peace.
The government is now convinced
that 1t is faced with the prospect
of a conflict revolutionary In char
acter. Therefore, II is taking the
sternest measures to deal with the
situation
One of he first steps taken by
the government was to suspend all
leave in the army and navy and to
recall all absent men to their units.
The Communists throughout the
country are extraordinarily active.
They are urging workers to lay
down their tools and to seize the
biggest industries and establish
workers councils.
Reds IDDugn- George.
Their principal argument is that
Lloyd George Is acting under IN
structions from the capitalists ano
Is giving government backing 10 .
concerted move Of the employers to
force down millions OF men below
the. poverty. line in order TO WIN
hack Great Britain's foreign trade
The gravity of the situation lies
In the fact that not only are two
million people now unemployed ana
a million and a quarter of miners
locked out, but that all are begin
ming to pay heed to the talk OF the
Communists. Full-time workers In
various industries are coming
around to the Opinion that they viii
also have to join in the night to
protect their own wages from the
employers raids.
The view of the workers is that
while wages slowly followed the
rise in the cost of living. the en-
blowers now want the fall In wages
TO keep ahead of the slow decline In
the cost NJ living.
= FatefuI Decision To-day.
The fateful day Is tomorrow, when
the Triple Alliance will decide
whether 60 call a sympathetic
strike. The alliance. consisting OF
the miners. the railroad and trans
portation mems unions. is the most
powerful labor organization in the
world. 1t has heretofore acted
merel yas an advisory body.
Tremendous issues hang on the
question whether the alliance VIII
tomorrow, for the first time. lead
it's 100000 workers in joint action
against the government and employ
ers.
In such an event Premier Lloyd
George is likely to go out to smash
It as a subversive body. Nothing
happened today to Indicate that the
fight will begin Immediately. The
transport mems federation Ia split
on the question of action. There Is
also some division among the railr
readers. But 1t is entirely possible
that the extremists will get control
at tomorrow's conference and force
a national tie-up. ...