The Washington herald., 1921-05-06
BRITAIN NEARS
DISASTER, SAY
BUSINESS men
Four Million Workers
Idle in Sixth Week Of
Coal Strike.
u. S. COMPETITION
BLAMED BY HORNE
Says America Won Brit
ish Fuel Trade With
Argentina.
rs,.ei.l Cable to Washington Herald and
United Nevs.)

United News.)
LONDON, May 5.-Paralysis and
stagnation are gradually overwhelm-
ing British industry as the coal
strike enters upon its sixth week
Leading business men are now
frankly afraid of complete. disaste-'
which now seems only around the
corner, unless some manner OF set
element with the strikers is made
and the men go back to work.
Four million workmen. including
the miners. are now either without
Jobs or temporarily out OF WORK.
according to official figures.
The general business depression
il reflected in the stock market
where all textile and a majority OF
Industrial shares have slumped fear
fully this week.
The business power Of at least
h.H the nation is seriously cur
tailed and the retailers are feeling
the depression far more than at any
time since the piping times Of war
America is Blamed
America and Argentina. or rather
baltimore and Buenos Aires, which
are the two foreign corners OF a
rrsat economic triangle, are en-
tirely responsible for the industrial
d.pression and the coal strike. ac-
cordinE to Sir Robert Horne, chan
rovIor o. the exchequer. writing In
the Popular View.
In signed article in this pub
Iication the chancellor declares that
TIRE government is always blamed,
and that much of the public and
many Of the miners are holding. the
government responsible for scuttilng
the coal ship and leaving the miners
In order to nnd the cause" ;"
writes Sir Robert. let US map the
Atlantic. One point rs Cardln; the
second il Baltimore, and a tnlro Is
Buenos Aires. and by joining the
points we form the trade triangle.
o. s. Ges. Tradct
These points are selected because
Arrentina is the greatest importer
OF coal. Argentina bought S,S4o,4S0
TONS from Britain in 1913. The
limited States and Britain are the
two greatest exporters of coal, ana
CardiR and Baltimore are the chlet
ports The distance to Buenos Aires
from either port Is approximately
the same The best American coal at
baltimore is 2S shillings, or $3.50
ton.
.sRut during March wages alone in
Britain cost S5.2S a ton at pit-head.
American coal exports in 1913 to
Buenos Aires totaled 3s.s34 tons
Durinx the first ten months of 1920
bev reached 1,4s2.6s1 tons. Britain's
1870 exports dropped to 275.000 tons,
while export prices dropped from
$3.50 to $50 within a few
months"
Horne then argues that the gov
ernment y unable to alter condi-
tions in Baltimore OF Buenos
Aires The only way to remedy the
situation Is at Cardiff. with a sub
sidy Of approximately s16o.ooo.00o
a year for wages, which Is also i'm
possible.
Business Bankrupt.
The results are inevitable and
hard to bear" Horne continues. but
tbey must be faced. The country's
coal industry is bankrupt and non
supporting. The miners admit 1t.
THE government is prepared to
give temporary assistance to ease
the wage reduction. but the workers
and owners alone can negotiate re-
rardfnr the wages. The crisis is en-
tirely due to the phenomenal change
in the British coal market. which is
purely economic, and the only ef-
fective cure must be economic in
character.
we must face the fact. There
is no escaping the economic laws,
any more than We can escape the
laws of gravitation. The process
is painful. but unavoidable. Search
ing for scapegoats, either in the
government or among the owners.
Is a waste of time"
soeiaI Functions Stop.
From the highest social circles
In England down to the slums. AL
Britishers are curtailing on their
amusements. The nobility and So
ciety folks generally have rigidly
cancelled all functions such as din
ners and dances. The routine no.
tees in the social columns of Lon
don newspapers read something
after this fashion:
The Countess So-and-so's dance,
which had been arranged for to-
night, has been postponed on &C.
count of the coal crisis"
Fraternal lodge meetings and
dinners are not held, and the ut
most economy. enforced by law, is
being observed in the use Of fuel
in the home.
DistiIleries CurtaIled.
England has lately been depriv-
ed Of her cricket and football. and
although the Jockey Club plans to
90 ahead with its racing season,
even this sport may be curtaiIed
IL the situation continues.
Not the least of the Britishsrs,
troubles, present or threatened, is
the order Just issued prohibiting
the use of coal by distilIeries and
breweries. Eventually this will cur
tail supplies and increase prizes
and the general. public will ono,
more suffer"
The government has urged tbs
use Of wood and oil as fuel for
bakeries and necessary fndustries
Lord Curzon has reiterated In corn
mons the governments decision mot
to yield in the matter of a na.
aoeai pool Of coal peeets.