Evening star., 1926-05-31
BRITAIN SEES CHAOS
STRIKE AFTERMATH
Heated Conflict, Charges,
Hostility, Disappointments
and Tragedy Remain.
BY SIR PHILIP GIBBS.

SCeHeS OF EngllSn political llfe, so calm
apparently after the storm Of the gen.
eral strike. there is much heated con-
fiict OF ideas and passions. It Is break
ing out here and there in public
speech as in fierce denunciation Of the
Trade Union Council by the miners:
leader. Cook, who accuses his col
leagues Of base betrayal and repeats
his allegiance to Moscow methods In
the war against capitalism.
What Cook says publicly is being
said privately and with more violence
by men Of revolutionally views in the
trade union movement who forced the
hands of the moderate leaders and
then saw their action repudiated and
defeated. All those leaders of the
Labor Party who once held high ONCE
as cabinet ministers under Ramsay
Macdonald are now busily denouncing
the folly of the general strike and
reafhrming their belief in constitu-
tional methods: but their regulations
dSaVe been badly shaken and the Labor
Rrty knows that it has lost much Of
hold on the public esteem which
1t gained very widely during its first
experience Of actual government.
Ramsay Macdonald Troubled.
Ramsay Macdonald. once premier.
with the confidence Of King and coun.
try, goes about like a tortured soul.
his handsome. haggard face clouded
with dark thought. / have met him
In private life and know that he
loathes any disloyalty to the British
Parliament and democratic liberty.
But having proclaimed. against his
belief and conscience. that the general
strike was not an attack upon parlia-
mentary government, he is now furi-
1f LIZ r-1
clare that it was and should have
been an attempt to overthrow the
British constitution. He is desperate
to wipe out these memories of the
strike and to silence the extremists,
put there Is a growing storm in the
Labor Party which Is likely to break
it in half. Philip Snowden, once
chancellor of exchequer-that little.
lame. pallid man who has one Of the
most acute brains in England-has
more courage than Macdonald in de-
nouncing labor's left wing and ignor.
ing it's fury.
Lloyd George Loses.
one great character is still active
behind the scenes, and that is LLOYD
George, whose small remnant Of Lib
eral followers are uncertain of his
future policy. Lloyd GEORGES great
est enemy is Premier Baldwin, not
because of any personal hostility, but
because Baldwin's humanity, liberal
spirit and fair dealing have destroyed
Lloyd Georges chief hope Of return
ing to power. When the general
strike was declared. Lloyd George
saw supreme chance of leadership.
His nimble brain leapt to possibilities
which seemed almost certain. He be-
l1eved that millions Of men could not
be called from the factories and work
shops without rioung and lawless-
ness and revolutionary acts: in that
case Baldwin's humanity and love of
peace would be thrust to one side by
cabinet ministers more ruthless and
not averse to bloodshed.
Winston Churchill, with his faith in
force. his love Of command and his
military mind and tradition, would
teach the reds a sanguinary lesson.
Innocent blood would be shed as well
as guilty. and nliddle-class England,
deeply sentimental and enormously
good natured, would cry out in horror
and dismay against this internecine
strife. That would have been Lloyd
Georges chance. He would have
formed an alliance between the Lib
erals and Moderate Labor and have
led a great campaign for conciliation
and peace with immense popular sup
port.
Had Chance for Success.
In a little Surrey village not far
from where I live Lloyd George pre-
pared every move in this new politi-
Cal rally. I believe that if the gen
eral strike had lasted some weeks
longer, events would have worked out
in that way. 1t is likely that Lloyd
Georges marvellous genius in appeal
ing to emotion might have swept the
country and carried him back on a
tidal wave of popular support as a
man of peace and reconciliation.
None of these things happened The
absence of revolutionary outbreaks
gave no excuse for ruthlessness. The
spirit of Baldwin prevailed over the
spirit of Winston Churchill. Lloyd
George was not wanted by the nation
in this crisis. He is still in exile.
without power and with only a few
faithful followers. 1t is a tragedy Of
inaction for man whose whole soul
and genius crave action and power
as its daily food. 1t is still probable.
however; that Moderate Labor and
Independent Liberalism will draw
closer together. Lloyd George is busy
qnarreling with his Liberal colleagues
who dislike his criticism of the Con-
servative government during the gen.
eral strike, and who have fallen un-.
der the spell of Premier Baldwin.
Mr.. Baldwin himself is not happy
Just now, according to my information.
In spite Of his immense reputation in
the country owing to his leadership
during the industrial strife, he is con-
fronted with many difficulties and
heavy cares. His life's ambition is to
kriA he Nat
labor and to secure the prosperity of
England by an industrial pact of peace
in which employers and employees may
be collaborators instead of enemies.
He believes that trade unions still
have a great part to play in English
history and that the standard of life
among the working people must be
safeguarded and raised.
Baldwin's Plans Flouted.
But those ambitions and beliefs
have many enemies among his own
followers. One section Of them, hard
and narrow in their view Of social
life, are urging him to use the break
down Of the general strike to smash
trade unionism and to thrust all
classes of workers back upon what
they call hard economic facts; that is
to say, to beat them down to low
standards Of wages with longer hours
Of work. His spirit of good will and
cooperation has been rudely rejected
by the mine owners. who prefer
straight conflict with their men on
old-fashioned and brutal lines. His
influence and persuasion have been
thrust to. one side. and he 10 warned
without courtesy against government
interference Many Of his immedi-
ate supporters accuse him privately
of being too democratic. overgenerous
and weak in good nature.
This quiet. philosophical, unpolitical
man, who by accident was called to
be prime minister of England, sits