Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-03
ENGLISH WRATH STILL GROWING
AT SOVIET GOLD FOR STRIKERS
Denial of Moscow That Money Is From Government,
Treasury Not Generally Decentralization
Held Unlikely for Present.

communistic activity and it's Russian
supporters. He pours scorn upon
| these little revolutionaries in the
mean streets who send plaintive let
ters to their paymasters in Moscow
asking for enough money to pay a
typist and lamenting that they are
in debt for IA pounds. There is a
comic side to all that, and it is certain
| that these back street bolsheviStS,
mostly young and work-shy agitators,
are unimportant in numbers and have
no power as a political party. They
have, however, the poisonous power
of infected microbes. They
are working as disease germs work in
| the human body.
In many factories Of England and
| Scotland they have formed ''cells" Of
four, five or six individuals who work
| under direct instruction from Russian
paymasters and, without acknowledge
| ing themselves as Communists, try to
infiame i'll feeling between, masters
and men and to create an atmosphere
of discomfort and class bitterness.
Believes in Workmen.
For a long time I have refused to
believe that all this underground
even now, after the experience of the
general strike, am still convinced
that British workingmen are largely
immune from these mental poison
mongers who are not working for lib
erty and prosperity, but for destruc-
ton and misery.
But what is more serious is the in
tellectual sympathy of certain trade
union leaders with Lenin'S gospel OF
social revolution. Cook, who is sec
rotary of the miners union and who
for nine weeks has refused all efforts
for compromise and Cancellation,
avows himself to be "a. humble dis
ciple of Lenin." In his only publish
ed book he advocates the overthrow
Of capitalism and the forcible seizure
of industry after running the present
employers.
Many members Of the Trade Union
Council, the most important indus
trial body in England, including men
like Ben Tillett and Messrs. Purcell,
SwaleS, Bromley and Hicks, are hon
| orary members Of the Moscow Soviet
and advocate alliance with the Red
International. These are the men
who were responsible for the general
strike and who at the present moment
| are the leaders Of millions of British
workingmen, able to paralyZe British
industry. AS during this coal strike
it is being slowly strangled.
Ex-Premier Ramsay Macdonald and
his Parliamentary Labor party have
repeatedly denounced communism and
all its works. They have asserted
many times that If they don't destroy
| the Reds the Reds will destroy them.
Honestly and sincerely they detest
| this Russian alliance, this Russian
gold, this revolutionary propaganda.
But they support men who have no
such scruples
Serious Danger Seen.
They dare not denounce trade union
leaders who do not conceal their Rus
sian sympathies, because they have
to defend trade union interests and
depend for their votes upon the rank
and file Of working men still loyal to
those leaders, but not understanding
their motives or their sinister philoso-
ply. 1t is a serious danger both for
the Labor party and for England.
There Is no danger, in my opinion, Of
a revolutionary upheaval in Great
Britain at the present time. But the
evil effect Of this revelation Of Rus
sian influence is precisely in opposite
extremes. Anger and hatred in Brit
ish minds against this sinister plot
ting Of foreign enemies and this cor.
ruption Of British citizens will lead to
reaction and conservative policy at
time when liberal, forward, adventur-
Gus thought is urgently needed. Fear
Of bolshevism will tend to check any
generosity toward democratic re-
form.
Even Premier Baldwin, a most
liberal minded man, Is drawing back
a little from his promises and ideals,
so friendly to the interests Of labor.
Opinion is hardening against the min
ers. who at first had great public SYM
patty. Conservative thought Is be-
coming hostile and bitter against the
Parliamentary Labor party, which at
zone time gained honor and respect.
The net result Of Russian propaganda
In England Is to give the Conservative