Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-24
STRIKE BOOMING
LABOR CABINET
MaCd0naId'S Chief Troubles
Coming From His Own
Party Ranks.
NEAR DEFEAT TWICE
Dock Walkout May Be Followed by
Mine Struggle.
BY 4. Il. GARDINER.

BY 4. q. GARDINER
BY Radio to The star Copyright, 1924. by
the consolidated Press Association
LONDON, February 23.-Great Brit
ain has been as effectually blockaded
this week as if under a state of siege
The dock workers at all ports demanded
an additional two shilIings day, but
the companies resisted the full claim.
ana the men ceased work, with the re-
suit that not "a single cargo was I'M
loaded at any port in the kingdom
England is a country which is not
equipped To sustain ii long blockade,
whether from within or from without
enc IL dependent on overseas supplies,
which must be constantly renewed. The
amount of food in the country at any
on" time rarely exceeds q few weeks
supply, and anything in the nature of
u serious interruption of imports iIume-
diate!y assumes an alarming aspect.
The present strike had been antici-
pdted. and measures taken to increase
the normal reserves of corn. but these
were Insufficient 10 sustain the country
against prolonged strueeic. More
over, the outlook became more menace
ing with the prospect Of a sympathetic
strike on the part OF ether transport
workers.
settlement Seems Near.
In the circumstances at the instance
OF the government, the employers have
made a substantial advance toward the
iull claim, and at the moment Il settle
mCnt seems assured and Il reSumptiOu
ri work Imminent
This is the second national strike
since the labor government came in
10 power last month. In both cases
the employers handled matters badly
at the beginning alld We're com
PEELED to Yield in the end. This is
unfortunate in view of the present
electrical condition OF tie industrial
world. FOR the result OF the recent
strikes creates the impression that
tile employers are dishonest and will
surrender when squeezed. Between
the two, the poor consumer is hav-
ing IA thin time.
Al the troubles are by no means
diSaStl Gus defeat of the miners great
unrest has prevailed in the mining
Industry. and in Ii few weeks time
when the present agreement ends
the whole volcano promises to hoil
up with unprecedented fury. The
qucstion of public ownership of
the mines probably will become a
serious matter of priC teal politics,
Tor III" existing situation in the min
ing industry is admittedly antiquated
and n'cou"mic.
Altogether FTiuic Minister Ramsay
Macdonald is having d rough baptism
from his own supporters. Clearly
the eXi>tcno. of q labor government
il no guarantee against labor trou-
bles. Possibly in the present circum-
stances il tends TO increase them.
Due for short Life.
Judging from the experience Of
The first few weeks. the labor gov
errmont does not promise to continue
long. The extreme left wing of the
labor larty is showing strong dis
satisfaction with the government,
which they regard as indistinguish-
-.hlv from Tho previous capitaiistic
gov rr'ment. Thcy regard Premier
Macdonald simply Is IN old capital
istiC dog in Il reU coat.
Meanwhile, the feeling of the lib
erals t"S>aid tho govcrnm. ut is be-
c,HlinS emhitter"d by the attitude of
gaid IT, the liberals in the house and
Ii the constituencies. The unstable
condition of the government was re-
Nealed this week, when on two sue
cessive nights it only escaped defeat,
filst, by the help OF the speaker, and,
second, by the help of the tories.
The odd thing Is that the trouble
arose in one case because the air min
lister talked in too pacific Il tone, and
IN the other because the minister rep
re:,cntiug the navy seemed too war
like Tor the. liberals and the advanced
.auurit-s. From all this il will be
s"sl that Premier Macdonald has no
bad 81 roses, ana that his prospects
d surviving long in the tI,'ist Of such
C'5,ii.$I"n ale not inproN ing.
Prepa rativns for War.
II il certainly strange spectacle
to see government Of pacifists.
many al whom were opponents Of the
great war. ma king naval and military
preparations like any bourgeois gov
crnment. The situation in regard to
tho air still is creating much concern.
and in a debate this week it was said
that France still has ten-to-one su-
periority over England in airplanes.
While Lord Rothermere has been
throwing dust i'll English eyes with
his hats off to France" Premier
Poincare has been busy getting COM
mand of the air as u valuable bar
gaining counter.
The position with France is very
obscure. but government circles seem
confident that they are on the eve Of
some real now development toward a
European settlement. Perhaps the
most promising augury is the fall in
the franc, which is Il practical COM
ment on the bankruptcy of the Poiu-
care policy.
Copyright, 1924.l