Evening star., 1926-05-04
Great Britain's Civil War.


the House of Commons last night de
clared that Great Britain faced civil
wsr in the cha llense Of established
government by an alternative govern
mont the great clock in the tower at
Westminster, Big Ben" tolled the
hour of twelve and the general strike
was in effect Crowds of people gath
cred outside the parliament building
dra ma tiZAd the crisis with cheers.
Leaders Of the government and of the
Ia hor unions were variously greeted
as they emerged from the chamber
In which the last words Of the discus
sion had heen spoken. The red flag
was waved conspicuously. From
some of The people came the strains OF
the anthem ( revolution.
such WIS the scene at the outbrea X
cf what raS heen STYLED Great Brit
aims civil war. the first since the re-
volt Of the CovenanterS under Crom-
we'll against the royal rule of Charles g
I. Yet il is not vet war in the sens"
of deadly combat. No blood has been
shed thus far. There have been
lashes between the police and some
ot the strikers and their sympa thizers.
Red facS have been seized. Street
crowds have been dispersed.
Tha issue is now clearly defined.
The government has refused to sus-
tain a A. e%ing industry by the pay
n,e nj Of further subsidies in order that
the wa ges OF miners may be main
tanned. II has refused TO nationa liZe
the mines and Ia pay the wages de-
ma nded II has refused TO obey the
mandate of the combined labor Or
canizaticns for a settlement" of the
mine dispute under threat of a gen
eral strike. The general strike is de-
signed 10 starve Great Britain into
submission nv the government. The
government responds to the challenge
hy preparing tn provide the people
with necessities by traordinary
means
That this is not simply A national
move of the unions is attested by the
fact that on the continent sympa thetic
mea sures have been adopted. At
Amsterdam the secretary Of the Inter
national Federation of Trade Unions.
embracing those Of twenty-three cOun-
tries. has announced that the organ
ization will strongly support" the
British strike. without specifying the
methods of support. The German
Miners Federation in ma nifesto de-
ciares that it will prevent the trans
pcrtation of coal to E,ngia nd during
the strike. The Rotterdam Transport
Workers Federation forbade the dock
workers to assist in loading coal for
Great Britain. The French miners,
through their union. represe nting forty
per cent Of the workers, are to tak
similar action.
Thus the British general strike
takes on an International aspect. There
is undeniably close relationship be-
tween British abor headquarters and
the Russian Soviet. Communism Is
anna nj in London. Sedition has been
openly preached in the British cap
ital during the past few days. A mem
her of parlia ment. of Indian birth. who
few months ago was barred from the
United States. has been placed under
arrest for seditious uttersnces in
HYDE Park on Sunday.
In these circumstances the British
ministry must fight. To Yield would
he to relinauish authority to the
unions. to submit to the subversion OF
government. A crisis sraVer even
than that Of the Great War is at hand.
Numerically the union membership
nd ftiliatio in Great Britain are
minority. They have q great power in
their control Of industry and trans
rortation. II the majority can be
coerced hv priva ion and suffering and
loss into submission. the revolution
surceeds and no one can tell what the
end will he. That it would merely
mean cha nge Of ministry and parlia-
mentarv control is doubtful.
But there Is no present sign that
the spirit of the British ma iority is
broken. 1t is evident from the man
ner in which the ministry's measures
have heen received that the people are
willing to suffer inconvenience and
loss and perhaps even acute priva ton
In order that government may endure.
The test of fine old gentleman n
these DAYS Is the ability to associate
IN conseniaJ terms with a group of
Boy Scouts.
0eoor 6 SfrouS