The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-05-08

Special Cable to THH NEW York HERALD
Copyright, 1921. by THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
London May q.
l want to tell the American people
the underlying meaning of what is
happening in England now, for they
must he mystified and perhaps as
friends somewhat alarmed by the
newspaper dispatches from CORE
spondents on this side Since my last
message the miners again have
broken off negotiations with the coal
mine owners in spite of great con-
cessions offered by the Government
and the employers, so that every great
industry is crippled. There have
been but few trains running and the
gas lighting in many towns has been
reduced to wartime conditions.
That news has reached the United
States, day by day, but it is perhaps
unlikely that the meaning of this
struggle has been clearly explained.
Something is happening in England
bigger than the "down tools action
by the miners, though that has been
serious enough 1t is a moral con-
iict far more than merely a mate
rial struggle between capital and
labor. 1t is battle between the
forces of evil and ignorance on both
sides; and goodwill and knowledge
on both sides also are striving for
victory in the national conscience.
Instinctively every class In England
knows that issues are now being
raised that will decide not only
whether the miners shall receive GER
tain wages but whether the British
Empire will continue to hold her
place and power or fall rapidly in
decay, whether there shall be Eu-
ropean peace or twenty or thirty
years of a new and devastating war.
and whether in moral and physical
results the victory in the last war
was worth its sacrifice Of blood and
treasure or was utterly demoralizing
aud self-destructive.
Labor Changed by War.
Let me examine first the psychology
of the laboring men and women.
They were profoundly changed by the
FIVE years of war conditions. For
the first time In their lives they en-
ioyed some little margin of wealth
and luxury. The Government needed
labor desperately and was willing to
pay any wages demanded by workers.
They demanded more and more, strik
ing and winning always when they
learned their value and power.
The Government yielded time and
again to keep them good tempered
and industrious while the war lasted.
The workers acquired new tastes,
dressed better and were lifted out Of
the squalor Of their old slums; spent
their fine wages prodigally and saved
not penny for a rainy day.
Long after the war the Govern
ment continued TO control the indus
tries, and subsidies out Of the public
money were used to sustain wages
while the cost of living stayed high.
Ii was bound to stop, as was shown
by brutal figures, but wisdom would
have used the time since the armi-
stice to climb down gradually with full
warning and explanation instead OF
Issuing a sudden and staggering chal-
lenge. That has now happened to the
miners, as IL soon will happen TO other
industries, and not only the miners
but all labor In the British Isles
must be confronted with drastic wage
cuts.
Laid to Psychological Laws.
II IL no spirit Of revolution which
is arousing their resistance. There
are revolutionary groups active In
many industries. but so far without
much of following and opposed to
the instincts Of the vast ma jority.
Not O desire for revolution but ordi.
nary psychological laws after the
mental advantage Of the war are the
cause OF the workers refusal to &C.
cept lower wage scales.
They revolt against the idea of re-
turning to prewar conditions OF life.
which for millions of them meant
foul slums, rags and tatters. bare