The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-13
GOAL INDUSTRY IN ENGLAND FATTENS
 ON STRIKE IN J. s.
Miners Do Not Object to "SCabbing" on American Brothers and Exports
 Are Enormous
Fly NORMAN WATSON
special Correspondent to The Age Her,
 NCoDyrlght. 1922. by The AEe- Herald

SPecial Norrespondent to The Age-Hernld
 tCooyrlght. 1922. by The Age Heraldl
 London, August 12.-The British ycu
 A few weeks ago 1t was very sick industry. The thousands of unemployed were getting by with half rations, and those still in jobs were getting wages of a lower pur- chasing value than those of before the war Lines of coal cars were filed away on sidings. Shipping rates were down almost to the pre- war level but bottoms went begging. K Demand was drying up in nearly all normal markets, and losses in many cases were so heavy as to foretell an irretrievable dis aster.' Then came orders from strike smitten America. That noise you heard In the east was loud cheers In Cardiff and Glasgow and Newcastle.
 There was talk of the miners re- fusing to "scab" on the American strikers. MT. William Straker, gem eral secretary of the Northumber- land Miners Federation. said he con- sidered it unlikely that the fedora tion would take any official action against the export of coal to Ameri- ca-"for obvious reasons.' Last year American miners increased pro duction during the national coal strike here. and the British miners have not forgotten. Moreover, wages have been so near the star vation line and there has been so much unemployment that a Job looks like a job.
 Extremists Urge Solidarity
 Extremists are urging internation- al solidarity and there may be in- cdents of sympathetic action on this side before the coal shortage is entirely relieved. The official or gan of the communists. who have a certain strength in South Wales, accepts the report that miners off, ficials" have declared the attempt to remove the American shortage with British coal may be futile.
 Newcastle reports that the whole of the available supply Is fully booked up to the end of August. There are numerous inquiries from the United States for urgent sup plies at advanced rates. Conti- mental countries are getting into the scramble. Prices jumped two shil- lings and ships that were seeking charter at less than eight shillings a ton, now are being chartered at 12iA shillings. Miners are generally working full time.
 Glasgow tells a similar story. So far the miners have not objected to "scabbing." Germany is buying heavily (to fulfill her reparation obligations to France, and Italy!) And the demand promises 10 exceed the supply. thanks to the trouble in the states"
 South Wales three weeks ago was in an unprecedented slump. One town of 16,000 population. for in- stance, had 14,000 starving along on unemployment benefits. Exports were half of the pre-war average and there were no orders. Accord ing to operators reports the in- dustry was not earning enough to cover the wages paid the 10000 miners employed although the wage rate was lower than before the war.
 ssNIiracle" Works Wonders
 The miracle as some ecstatic mine owners have described the sudden and enormous orders from across the Atlantic, worked com plete change overnight. The de moralizing despondency" of July, to quote one expert. gave way to a "vivifying cheerfulness." It Is not yet known just how much coal America is going to buy. but enough has already been ordered to absorb all the collieries can produce up to the end of August, and not few companies which yesterday were frantically begging for day-to-day orders so as to avoid the huge ex- pense involved in suspending op- erations, have withdrawn from the market.
 Nobody seems very excited over the difficulties American authorities are having with English booze smugglers. "A1l this says the Daily Express. Ifs no doubt. very awk- ward for American prohibition en- forcement officers, who are set tn. hopeless task of guarding thousands of miles of thinly populated coast line. But we really do not see what we can do about it. The Pussyfoot- CTS have undertaken to deny the natural human appetite for drink of more than 100000 people who have plenty of money to pay for what they want" With such unani- mity one wonders who can be the .'pussyfooters?"
 The Express continues. more mag unanimously: When they (the snug