The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-16

openly and deliberately took upon
itself the task Of smashing labor in
the interests Of the mine owners and
the rest Of the capitalist class.
One needs only to read the dis
patches to such newspapers as the
New York Times which frankly
champions the cause Of the capital
lists as against the workers to under
stand that the British government
functioned during the general strike
as what Engels called special bodies
Of armed men," to know that British
capitalism concentrated all its forces
Of oppression Into one apparatus and
that apparatus is the regular and spe-
cial police forces and the army and
navy.
TNHE declarations of such men as J.
4 H. Thomas, member Of the Privy
Council during the war, Macdonald,
who while Labor Party premier sane
toned the use of methods against the
workers and peasants Of India which
were more brutal than those of Bald
win, Henderson, Clynes and the rest
Of the right wing leadership, to the
effect that "the strike is not an attack
on the constitution" their complaint
that the government was exceeding its
authority, their efforts to give no Of
tense to the bloody imperialists Of
which the personnel of the British
government is composed but to Guido
them in patriotism instead Of telling
the workers that the wage struggle
must take on a political character if
victory was to be secured, simply
aided the government in its strategy.
THIS strategy was TO force the issue
L of capitalist government. versus
the trade unions-to appear as the
champion Of the interests Of the ma
jority Of the British people against
the onslaught of a minority.
Such a strategy can be met and
counteracted only by resolute, con-
scious workingclass leadership with
full knowledge of the implications of
the struggle, a leadearship which is
using all It's energy to rally and
solidlfy the workers ranks for the
overthrow Of capitalism and the estab-
lishment OF the dictatorship Of the
workingclass.
THE right wing leaders of the Brit
4 ish Labor Party and the Trade
Union Congress are just as much
afraid of the workers as are the cap
italists. They had a common meet
ing ground before the strike was
called.
Not once during the strike did it
appear in any of the dispatches that
the reformist leaders made any at
tempt to capitalize for the extension
and broadening of the strike the food
ing of Britain with troops, the occupa-
ton in the best military and naval
style Of industrial sections and ports,
the special legislation enacted, the
suspension of all ordinary liberties
and privileges, the open threat and
the obvious preparation to crush the
labor unions by military force.
WHAT part OF these preparations
w were is told in extracts from dis
patches culled from the Chicago and
New York capitalist press published
in connection with this article.
The evidence of correspondents who
chronicled approvingly the events
here set forth shows that the British
government declared war on the
trades unions and the workingclass
the moment the strike was called.
The government placed the army
and navy on war footing, it organ
lied special auxiliary war services
and after the passage Of the emery
ency act-itself a war measure-it
issued instructions to the military
forces which legalized any steps they
might care to teke from the arrest
Of strikers to mass murder
CELDOM has the leadership of a
- great trade union movement had
such an opportunity as was given the
right wing leaders of British labor.
Given" is the proper word because
the general strike was opposed by
them.
But to Macdonald and Thomas this
opportunity was no glorious chance to
deal deathblow to British imperial
ism but a reason for sorrow and
tears. Weak and cowardly, this sec
ton of the labor leadership was weep
ing when the strike was called and
when it ended.
Not even the splendid array Of stern
willed workers behind them could
give them courage. They have the
viewpoint Of the ruling class, they are
obsessed with the idea OF empire and
they could only wall of the losses to
England" caused by the strike.
ITO them England is not the England
4 Of the toling miners, metal work