Evening star., 1926-05-02
BRITAIN IN GLOOM,
! WAITING STRIKE Of
| 5,O)D,0DO WORKERS
King Proclaims Emergency
Giving Government Wide
' Powers-Troops Placed.
HVOL UNTEERS ARE READY
! TO KEEP FOOD MOVING
Faint Hope for Peace Hangs on
Conference Between Unions
, and Baldwin.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON. May 1.-Complete paraly-
sis Of industry in Great Britain is
prospect of the coming week unless
before Tuesday some agreement is
reached for settling the coal strike
which began today. One million
miners are affected by the strike. they
will he backed up, if the strike con
finues by some 100000 workers be-
longing to 203 trades unions.
The representatives of these unions
decided today to put all their strength
80 the task of helping the miners, Tor
She issue is characterized by labor as
no longer one between the owners and
the miners, but as affecting all labor.
\ proclamation by the King which
Eives the government almost unli1nlt-
ed powers and establishes a state
Of emergency" which while not so
far reaching as the proclamation or
martial law, permits the authorities
40 use all the resources of the state TO
guard the nations vital interests.
Troops Are Dispatched.
Already. as a precautionary meas
,,re dispositions of troops have been
made in the coal mining areas OF
South Wales, Lancashire and Scot
land. The organization for the main
tenance of supplies is prepared 10
5oin with the government in hundreds
Of centers throughout the country IN
maintaining essential services, Wn1le
there are indications that the govern
ment itself is getting ready to take
over the control of coal, both III the
mines and aboard ships.
Yet in the midst of the overpoWer-
ing gloom of a possible general strike
there is a ray of hope, Tor late tonlsnt
IA committee from The Traces mon
Congress resumed negotiations WITH
Premier Baldwin and his ministers
at Downing street. The labor men
left the premier residence shortiy
before midnight, and 1t was Under
stood they had Sone to confer with
the miners executives anu HhShI &c
turn later.
A conference of the trades union
congress in the afternoon went
thoroughly into the question at issue,
and late tonight communlque was
ISSUED from the prime minister Oh
fee announcing that tn" council or
the congress had written to the
premier informing him that the
miners had entrusted the council with
all fuftnef noSOIldtiOIS III tiiCli w
half, and stating that they were ready
at any moment to enter into a dis
"ussion with the government. The
premier Immediately invited repre-
sentatives to meet him, and George
Hicks. Ben Tillett and a. Pugh then
went into conference with the min
listers.
This meeting ended at 80 o'clock
this Sunday morning. j. H. Thomas
who is secretary of the railwaymen's
union, announced there was still hope
that further negotiations on the strike
situation would take place later In
the day.
Streets are Thronged.
A great crowd of people waited out
side in Downing street and not for
Years had such activity been seen
there on Saturday night.
1t is unofficialiy asserted that the
delegates intimated to the government
that if a resumption Of the negotia-
1ions We're in Immediate prospect even
when the general strike was due to
begin. Monday at midnight, the threat
would not be carried out. Their con-
tention was that owing to the lateness
Of the mine owners offer conveyed to
them late Friday evening, there was
no time left for real negotiations.
This offer was for reduced wage
on the basis OF the settlement in 1921.
namely a 20 per cent increase over
the standard wages prevailing in 1914.
This was conditional on an eighthour
day, instead of a seven-hour day.
The miners absolutely refused TO &C
Cept these terms.
A special meeting of the full Labor
party has been summoned for Mon
day in the House Of Commons to dis
cuss how best to support the miners
in their struggle. Although there is
a prospect Of a renewal of the negotia-
tions, the trades union congress has
made all possible preparations to carry
out a general strike. What support
the continental workers would give to
such a strike is not known in detail,
but the international body has voted
Ats general support.
Ireland Not Affected.
The strike in no way effects Ireland,
either north or south.
J. Ramsay Macdonald, former labor
premier, in the course OF speech.
said:
I'VE have been charged by some of
the newspapers with wanting war. 1t
is my conscientious belief that | have
never been associated with a body of
men who have striven more patiently
or with greater desire to make peace.
THE decision of the government
late last night to break off negotia-
tions was a crime against society.
This fight is an unnecessary fight.
wicked and criminal fight. The gov
ernment has dreaded the fight on the
standard of life of our people, and the
battle cannot be kept off the floor OF
the House of Commons.
Assails Government.
'The sword was not drawn by J. Fl.
Thomas. or Herbert Smith, or any rep
resentative of the trade unions, but by
the government, and 1t is the govern
ment which is now Haunting the
sword in the faces of the people"
Former Premier Lloyd George, in
speech at Cambridge, said:
There is one thing l dislike about
the situation. There is too great a
similarity to the method that led to
the great war-desultory and dilatory
diplomatic interchanges, leisurely ne
gotiations never touching the real is
sues, and then the parties hurting ul-
timatums at each other. I do not like
the analogy; it is q very ominouS one"
Under the provision of the emer-
gency act, the Board of Trade has
issued detailed instruction on methods
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