Evening star., 1921-04-10
BRITISH PERIL LIES
IN A LONG STRIKE
Reds Almost Certain to Grow In Power
as Industrial and Commercial Life
Grows Chaotic.

and Trotsky.
Source Of Trouble.
Briefly put. the whole British labor
trouble lies in the governments re-
fusal to continue control of the
mines. thereby guaranteeing certain
try, wages which. by the way, are
OF the wartime variety. This sys-
tenn cost the British government
fully s5o.ooo,ooo monthly, and, in
view of the critical condition of the
state eNchequer. the government
,, deemed it wise to dispense with this
extra drain. particularly in view Of
the fact that the soundest principles
OF economics are against any sys-
tenn which burdens the taxpayers of
i taxpayers already are bending under
, the weight of onerous burdens
thrust upon them through the long
clash with the central powers.
The whole labor situation in Eng,
land has been working to the end
threatened at the moment. The war
! alone halted sharp clash between
the triple alliance. employers and the
government Immediately hostili-
ties ceased and the minds Of the peo-
pie once more centerrd upon eco
nomic and industrial reconstruction.
the troubles OF previous years we're
! aired once more and the labor party
of England set in motion nat!onal-
:,
! losses in various national industries
upon the government. but giving the
profits to labor alone. This ma
tionalization scheme, it is asserted
by the government. would work the
grossest injustice to millions of peo-
pie within the British Isles not di-
rectly interested in subsidized in
dustrieS.
Want Showdown.
Feeling has been growing to
point where is is believed that a ma jor
portion of the people of the nation
the labor party in determining wheth-
er the laborites shall dictate gov
ernmental policies or whether they
shall be amenabls to the general
laws of economics and industrial life
which have fundamental sources.
Lloyd George on several occasions
in recent months has thrown down
the gauntlet to the laboring elements
who have sought to dictate to the
government and it is believed that
now that spring has arrived he in
tends to have finish fight. Cooler
heads have counseled moderation and
compromise on both sides. but these
have been shunted into the back
ground by the more determined ele-
ments. Whether or not they even
tually will win at this juncture re-
mains to be seen, but even in the
most conservative walks in England
it is believed that if there is not a
fight to the finish at the present mo-
ment. the whole labor situation will
be kept in an uproar through con-
slant laborite agitation.
In the interests of abor itself, in
the interests of the government, in
the interest of general reconstruc-
ton processes in England, which are
particularly Europe, the opinion is
expressed that some solution should
be reached and that it be definite and
clear cut.
If Lloyd George be not sincere
and merely be jockeying to kill the
labor party's influence in order to
perpetuate his coalition regime then
this should be known once for all.
If the government is not represent
ing the whole of the people and the
upon real injustice this undoubtedly
will be proven and steps toward the
attainment of just ends and the recti-
fication of old wrongs taken. But IL
il is in reality real test of strength
between organized government and
abetted in Moscow. there is but one
viewpoint among American observ-
ers and that is the fight should go
to a showdown. with the government
exerting every influence TO wipe out
troublesome influences even though II
temporarily causes the eclipse of the
labor party as whole. Even the
most fair-minded realize that if the
labor party of England could purge
itself of the influence Of radical ele-
ments labor as a whole would profit,
for the era of suspicion and doubt
manifest by both the industrialists
and government would pass and a
new economic scheme of things set
in motion.
Bloody struggle Possible.
Should it eventuate that prolonged.
bitter industrial strife be ushered in
it is difficult to see the end until it Is
definitely established that the red
influence cannot become paramount in
labor's ranks Should it win there
would eventuate one of the bloodiest
struggles in the history of warfare on
the British Isles. for the government
has been preparing for just such a
struggle for many months. with the
odds in its favor.
But unless there is clear-cut, well
defined settlement of all issues pre-
dominant in the struggle today. Eng
land may continue to seethe and boil
industrially and commercially for an
indefinite period. Whether such
doubt But much of their success will
depend on laboriate leaders steering
clear course during the period of
demorali1ation certain to follow the
tieing up Of the mines, railways, ports
and harbors.