The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-07-20

coal miners are fighting. Negotia- |
tons, understandings and mutual con-
cessions with the plainest of motives
are taking place behind the backs Of
the strikers. Once again the fight of
these 100000 miners is being
threatened. And not because the
pressure the bourgeoisie are bring
ing to bear is steadily increasing,
nor because Churchill and Birken-
head, ''slavering furious froth at the
mouth" are hot-headedly informed
ding with threats to all and sundry
No, not for that reason, but because
the General Council has again pub
licly announced that it is going to
etxend its support" to the miners.
1t Supported" them once before, but
much as the hanqman's moose does
/ his victim.
TT has now once more taken up with
L the miners, it's interest in them
having, quite 'by chance" conceded
up with the conference Of trade union
executives at which the general coun.
Gil was to have reported on its dis
graceful action.
A funny thing happened to this con-
ference. The general council was to
have called it Immediately after the
strike in order to report to those from
whom it had received its powers. The
general council postponed the confer
ence to June % in the hope that be-
fore that time the miners strike
would finish one way or the other
and SO enable it to report in an at
mosphere of calm, /. E., simply bury
unpleasant debates, obtain full am
nesty and absolution from dt sins.
TN spite of the general council and
L all it's pulling of strings, the min
ers' strike continued. Well did the
council leaders realize that to report
on what they had done while the min
ers were still out would be a stiff
Job; it would have had to explain ex-
actly how the strike was called off,
what guarantees" it had got and so
on. The fact that the miners are
: still out is plain enough refutation
of all the big talk of both the Right
and the so-called Left Wingers on
the general council about their having
concluded an honorable settlement.
THE miners strike thus brought
; l. about an unexpected alteration
in the plans of the council politi.
clans.
When it turned out that the min
, ers' strike was still being carried on
/ and would be continued during the
conference, the general council be
gan maneuvering, began outflanking
and enveloping movements, with ar
objective obvious to all On the eve
of the conference of executives the
general council handed over 6 10000
to the Miners Federation of Grea
Britain by way Of help; then it be
gan to coax and wheedle the Miners
executive into agreeing to a postpone
ment of the conference of executives
g promising in return to support th'
: strike. It's maneuvers were crowned
5 with success. In the general counciPi
l statement about the postponement o
+ the conference of executives we ar;
3 told that:
"The general council and the
: Miners Federation of Great Britain
y consider this measure extremely
z necessary as a common policy will
S have to be worked out to offer
5 maximum resistance TO the govern
n ment's activities. The general
u council and the NJ. r. G. B. attach
t. the greatest Importance to the rally
q ing together Of all groupings in the
s labor movement whose representa-
e tives must avoid press or platform
l. statements likely TO call forth fric-
s ton and misunderstanding and to
+ distract attention from the main
Q objective.'
g LIVERY word in the statement is
q Ggem by itself 1t seems the gel
eral council considers it necessar
g ''to work out common policy. Br
IS on what basis? That the miners Civ
% in to the coal owners? Seemingl
for the phrase about resistance
a. the governments activities" contain
IL nothing at all concrete. The mai
n the crying issue Just now is the mil
ic ers' fight, yet there is nothing sal
IT about this question, altho they MAX
TX up for that by particularly emphasi
ing that it is essential ito avoid pres
or platform statements likely to ca
forth friction and misunderstanding
What speeches are meant? OF cours
D those against the policy Of the gene
u al council II considers any crlticis
Of its action as extremely harmful I
IN this might tend ''to distract attic
II. ton from the main objective"
- NOW, what is the general council
- ~ main objective?" TO help Il
= miners? II they had wanted to (
that then there would have been !
Oh reason for calling off the strike. III
ks general councils main objective is
cover up its own work of betraya
and Il poes without saving Tn