The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-15
BIRMINGHAM AGE-HERALD
SERIOUS q TUkT|0NI
 LOOMS IN BRITAIN
Foreign Relations, Unstable Pound, Railway And Coal
 Strike Are Problems
By CHARLES M. M'CANN (Leased Wire to The Age-Herald)


 LONDON. Jan. 14.-On the eve of the momentous session of Parliament which opens Tuesday. Britain faces the most serious situation that has confronted her in months. Whether Stanley Baldwin, con servative. or Ramsay MacDonald. la borite. Is at the helm, Britain's gov ernment must tackle four great prob lens. They are:
 1. A possible coal strike this spring.
 9. A threatened strike of railway men the coming weekend. g. A serious decline in the value of the pound sterling.
 4. Strained relations with France over the question of the German palatinate.
 It is declared authoritatively that Britain will break with France if the French persist in the view that the palatinate is autonomous and should be recognized as such by the Rhine land commission.
 Cabinet members and liberal and labor leaders planned final confer ences Monday night to discuss the situation.
 King George opens Parliament Tuesday. and the ceremony will be carried out with all traditional ritual. as if there were no question of la bor's assumption of power in the coming days.
 The Kings speech. 1t is believed. will outline program of non- provocative legislation. as If the con- servatives were ignorant of their prospective fall In favor of Britain's first labor government.
 Early Fall preSicted. O As the situation now appears, it is | probable that the government. If 1t | is defeated, will fall early, possibly Thursday night. the defeat will come on vote of lack of confidence in connection with Parliaments reply to the Kings speech. | Leaders had originally intended that the debate on the reply be pro- I longed to give all parties an oppor- tunity for expression Of opinion, but the program is to be speeded up so that labor can take over responsi- bility before any crisis becomes acute.
 | Lancashire and Cheshire miners voted heavily Monday in favor of ter minating the existing wage agree ment, but the coal strike is still future problem. It will come to head in the spring. I The Trades Union council Is doing | its utmost to prevent the railway strike. Workers and the companies are still completely deadlocked. The government and private companies are rushing preparations to organize motor transport service to offset effects of the expected strike. It IS feared the strike would result in an almost complete stoppage of rail transportation.
 Labor Attitude Doubtful What a labor government would do in regard to a labor strike is pug zling Britain. Meanwhile, however. whatever government Is in Downing street must cope with the fall of the pound, and strained relations with France.
 Bankers say that sterling Is de- clining partly in sympathy with the decline of the French franc. They declare that the United States, which largely controls the exchange mar ket, enormously connects Britain with the continent. Well informed persons outside banking circles, however, say that certain number of British financiers, in abject fear or possible labor government, are SC nding huge shipments of sterling to the United States. One hnancief, 1t is said, has sent almost $10,OOO,U00 worth of sterling.
 The palatinate situation forms real menace in foreign affairs. Brit ain denies that the Rhineland conn mission has the right to recognize the autonomous palatinate govern ment, and 1t Is said she will demand a showdown unless France recedes from her posdtion.
 It is stated on good authority that Britain will not consent, under any circumstances, to the commissions recognizine the autonomous regime.