Evening star., 1925-09-13
REDS GAIN POWER
IN BRITISH LABOR
BoIshevik Propaganda il
Army Is Causing Much
Alarm in Isle.
BY A. G.. GARDINER.

BY Radio to The Star.
LONDON, September IA great
battle is raging within the labor
movement and the trades union con-
gress this week has cleared the decks
for a momentous decision.
The plain issue can no longer be
lodged. Is labor going bolshevik or
will it continue to stand for constitu-
tional methods and parliamentary gov
ernment? Extremists under the lead
ership of A. J. Cook, Wheatley and
other direct actionists have forced the
pace so furiously that moderates who
heretofore have turned a blind eye
to the challenge now are brought face
to face with the fact that the whole
movement is in imminent peril of
being stampeded into a war on So
ciety for the overthrow of capitalism
and the substitution of a workers
soviet for parliamentary government.
Encouraged by Coal Issue.
The action of the government in
buying nine months peace in the coal
trade has encouraged the Commu-
nistS to aim at a coup detat. The
program is to enroll all trade unions
in one giant body, invest the general
council with complete executive pow
ers, convert every strike into gen.
eral assault on society, make the
whole capitalist system unavoidable,
bring the fabric TO the ground and
erect on the ruins a Communist
regime controlled by the workers
soviet.
Wheatley who is intellectually the
most formidable leader of the crusade,
thinks the overthrow can be accom-
plished next May, when the armistice
in the coal trade ends and the clash
between capitalism and Communists
should come. He admits the issue
turns on the army. He says II work
tng-class soldiers will fire on working
class strikers capitalism may win; II
they do not fire, capitalism will fall.
Great suspicion prevails in regard
to the nature of the propaganda in the
army and rumors are abroad that the
government contemplates dramatic ac-
ton.
Wheatley Is Evasive.
wheatley, challenged by Bevin,
leader of the Transport Service Work
ers, with the question Should the
strikers arm?" discreetly evades the
point. He does not discourage arms,
but he is careful not to bring himself
within reach of the law.
The enormous gravity of this move
ment overshadowed the Trades Union
this week. The extremists made a
formidable bid for the capture of the
congress in the interest of the full
Wheatley program. The result was the
defeat of the reds, but evidences of
growth of their power within the
movement are remarkable. A strong
tendency prevails to break away from
the parliamentary Labor party and
act on independent lines.
D. %Ia
vital proposals Of the extremists. 1t
refused by a large majority to ANAL
gamate all unions in one homogeneous
body. 1t also declined to commit it
self to the idea of making the general
council a sort of a war ministry of Ia
Dor. On the latter point, however, the
rejection was not absolute. The ques-
ton was referred back to constituent
bodies.
This undoubtedly was a conspicuous
victory for the reds, as also was the
adoption of a resolution establishing
the principle of shop committees,
which was declared by the extremists
to be essential for the purpose of un-
dermining the capitalist system.
Concerned About Future.
It was generally agreed that the
congress, while hesitating at the cross
roads, has SHOWN a QeClO6Q l6aTlTB TO
the Left and among the more response
BILE leaders much concern prevails as
to the future especially in view of the
grave issues pending in connection
with the coal situation.
The parliamentary Labor party has
certainly lost ground since the labor
government fell. Trades unionism,
which provides voting and money
power to the movement, has been dis
contented with the attitude of the po-
1itical wing, especially Ramsay Mac
Donald. The extremists have taken
advantage of this discomfort to preach
the idea of disregarding Parliament
and relying on direct action.
The writer's own impression is that
congress has cleared the air, that it
has thrown the issue into sharp out
line, that it has at. last compelled labor
seriously to ask where it is going and
that the more the question is dis
cussed the more the strength of the
moderate constitutional element will
be revealed.
The extremists have prospered be-
cause the moderat tes avoided the chal.
lenge. But now the plain question,
Should the strikers arm?" is bring
ing labor up abruptly to consideration
OF what revolutionary propa ganda in
wolves, and the writer believes the
tendency will be to draw back from
the brink Of the precipice.