The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-10

originally conceived, and British labor
 aims at securing such a necessary
 transformation.
 Yet, even much more comprehen-
 sive and democratic body would be
 sadly incomplete without America, and
 though the United States should re- main unconnected with the present
 league, hopes are entertained that she
 would look more kindly on a real
 league of peaceful peoples. While sen timent in America seems mobilized to- day more thoroughly than at any time in the past, the fact remains clear that her freedom of action can have only
 relative operation. Her interest in
 Tap and in the San Reno agreement relating to Mesopotamia shows that
 her concern is not limited to the Amer ican continent. But whatever attitude America may take regarding the league, one feels sure she cannot re- sign her foremost place among the powerful forces working laboriously for world peace.
 CRAFTSMANSHIP OF LABOR
 The international labor conferences on reparations at Amsterdam has again demonstrated the enlightened and prac- tical statesmanship of the European working class movement While the allied powers, become more and more suspicious an dirritated at each other
 and remain united only by a common inability to make Germany pay what they would like to exact from her, the labor movements have formulated prac- tical proposals which provide hints and suggestions of real usefulness. The conference took note of the disagree ment between the allied and German governments on the value of pay ments in kind already delivered and the amount that Germany can pay in general reparation. On both of these points disagreement is on a question of fact and the conference was strongly of the opinion that this agree ment on such matters should be re- ferred for settlement to an expert commission appointed by the League of NatfonS or some other authority &C., ceptable to both sides a
 l consider that some such impartial machinery to assess the value of Ger many's payments in kind, and her gen eral capacity to pay. Is indispensable to any satisfactory solution of the reparations issue.
 A wise step would be for the allies to invite America to render a friendly service of arbitration. for so long IS the allies persist in their present naughty attitude, there seems little prospect of an early sa Lisfactory issue from the predicament in which they have placed themselves Here in Eng land the industrial crisis is approach ing a most acute stage. Without inter vening pacific development there is real danger of an early extension of the coal strike to a stoppage of rail way transport and of Industry It is not possible to exaggerate the militant temper of the rank and file not only in the mining industry but in other industries.
 SEEK TO AVERT TROUBLE
 The miners crisis is therefore re- garded generally as the first blow of capital in a general assault on the gestion that the present industrial movement is revolutionary or aims a. vast political changes Is utterly fool lsh. The delay of the railway men and the transport workers in,taking a final decision for action in support of the miners shows a real anxiety to avert an extension of the trouble so long as any possibility exists of an early sat isfactory settlement.
 The Lloyd George government has been guilty of blunder of the first in withdrawing national control of the mines so suddenly, for It was that action which precipitated the crisis. Without government aid the industry economically Is unable to pay anything approaching in adequate wage to maintain the miners at their 1 present standard of living. What the government sought to save by with drawing control would have been much less than the nation will lose by | ! prolonged stoppage. If the stoppage extends to the transport services, the 1 nation will be faced with the gravest internal crisis in its history.
 The breakdown of the conference be- tween the government and the miners executives through a failure to agree as to the resumption of work by the