Evening star., 1926-05-11
PROPAGANDA HINTS
/. STRIKE EXTENSION
Pleas by Both Sides for Sup
port Seen as Indication
of Long Battle.

With government officials here and
thigh financiers' in New York all
predicting that the British general
strike will lie short because it is
too big" comparisons with the stu
ation at the start of the World War
nearly , years ago, are inevitable.
At the beginning of that tragic con.
flict predictions were made by sol
liers and tinanciers the world over
that the war could not last long. 1t
was too big" The human race could
not stand it. The money problem
was too great. 1t could not be solved.
Yet the World War went on for more
than four years. and might have CON
1inued much longer If the United
States had not thrown its full weight
of men and material resources into
the fray.
There is another comparison with
the World War situation which Wash
ington finds ineScapahle. Already
both sides to the British strike, the
government and the workers, are
playing for position in public opinion.
not only the opinion of the British
people but of the peoples of the en-
tire world.
The British learned lot about
propaganda in the World War. They
learned it, however. only after a LONG
made use of this new agent in poll.
tics. economics and international
comfy. SO in the strike the use Of
propaganda started virtually with the
first call to the unions to walk out
Seen as Time Factor.
The very fact of the use of propa
ganda seems TO indicate that til
British expect the strike to be {.
Gong duration. They expect that IL
the end one side or the other mus,
yield to public opinion rather than l.
the force of arms or the force I.
violence. Immense numbers of per
sons are involved in the strike. the
etoppage of 1000 900 men meaning
an effect upon between Is .O00 ,000 and
G0,00O,0O0 of persons dependenc
upon the wages of these workers.
The economic cost of the strike a!.
ready has been reckoned up into the
hundreds of millions of dollars.
The play of propaganda in Great
Brltaln Is extremely interesting. The
government without doubt is appeal.
ing to the sympathy and support oh
other governments in any move !,
may have TO make, any harshness
may have to employ, and in anv de-
fault it might possibly have to make
in its debt payments to the United
states. The disruption of trade and
the stoppage of work both will stop
the revenues of the British Govern.
ment. 1t is not anticipated at This
time there will be any delay in Great
britain meeting her obligations to
thus country. The strike would have
TO continue long to bring about such
q condition. And. if it were to come
unquestionably it would be resented bv
union labor in this country If public
sympathy were enlisted for Great
Britain by that time. however, the
treasury officials would find no diff.
Guilty in arranging necessary delays.
Strikers Also Seek Support.
The leaders of the striking yorlxars
are Raking the greatest plav for svn,.
pathy. however, and propaganda at
TINS time may be vital to them in the
end. Their desire, of course. is to
arouse enough sympathy in the other
nations to gain support of the strike.
They would not be MSerse to seeing
sympathy strikes called in France
and Russia and the United States
Ihey may even expect support from
the workers of Germany and Italy.
although in the latter country fas
cIsm is so strongly intrenched for the
moment as to Danish all thought of
LIBERAL action being permitted at anv
point.
The British workers would like in
particular to appeal to the United
states union leaders and union work
ers. Already they feel they have been
assured of sympathy from this direc-
ton. although the weapon of the gen.
eral strike never has been employed
IN thit country and Euiid J.. "lu1
tig. as the financers say. to be con-
templated. However, transport work
FPS already have been ordered out in
New York on demands for large in
crease in pay and shorter hours Co
incident with the calling Of this strike,
sympathetic cables have been sent to
the British workers notifying them
of the move.
Copyright. 1920