Evening star., 1947-10-12
Communist Coal Chief Avoids
Strike Lest it Wreck Britain

tAiIS OU Slliui&Ss VI $AV, - WCCh
and were glad to have job. Amer
ican miners at that time were get
ting around $l4.50 and they too
were glad to have work. Today
thanks to Mr.. Lewis. the American
miner is getting about SIT week
Britain Has No Margin.
This improved status Of the
American miners prompted the fol-
lowing question to Mr.. Horner:
Since coal is a basic commodity
in England, more necessary at pres
ent than any other, why haven't
the wages of British miners gone up
proportionately with those of the
Americans? British wages have
doubled. The American have in
creased five-fold. The cost is high
but we are getting production.
Mr.. Horner countered: How did
Mr.. Lewis get those increases?"
The answer, of course, was by
strikes, prolonged strikes, that en-
dangered the war effort and retarded
American recovery.
Britain, Mr.. Horner said solemnly
coul not afford such strikes, even now
that the war Is over.
In America" he said, you have
margins. We have no margin. If
we sruck for one week, the whole
economy would be wrecked. If the
British miners we're getting Is
pounds $500 a week, they could
afford to strike. II we Shut down
for a week, the miners would be
among the first sufferers. Then the
other esential workers would de-
mand pay equal to the miners. We
could not stand such stoppages."
Not Communist Line in Britain.
In the United States" I re-
marked, "the Communist line is to
wreck the economy to create chaos
so the Communists can WELD greater
power. Isn't that the Communist
line in Great Britain?"
With smile, he replied that such
was not the Communist policy in
England.
Communist policy" he said, 'is
decided by the situation in each
country. Here, I am guided by the
executive committee of the miners
union. Harry Pollitt Chead of the
British Communist Party and q
native Britisher) is guided by the
party's executive committee. Pollitt
receives no instructions. I receive
no instructions from abroad. I have
no contacts with Moscow"
$4,000 Communists in Britain.
The present strength of the Com
munist Party in Britain is estimated
at $4,000 members No one will esti-
mate the number of fellow travellers.
AS in the. United States, the Com
munists and their puppets seek key
positions in industrial and other or
ganizationS. They have only two
members in Parliament.
Mr.. Horner and Mr.. Pollitt, as
spokesmen for the Communist
Party, are insisting that the present
efforts of the Attlee government to
increase production and to improve
the standard of living of the work
ing people are too weak. They, and
the Communists generally, demand
more centralization of governmental
and economic power, more direction
of labor and, of course, wider ma
tionalization of industry. Their
enemies are the Capitalists and the
Tories"
When I asked him If the coal
targets" would be. reached this
year and next, he replied that they
would be If the Government put
more men in the mines.
Employment in Mines Decline.
Pointing to q graph on the near
by wall, he said: Look at that
line of employment in the mines
II has gone down since August
There has beeh q net loes-Df sa0l
men In the last two months. /. Tfiai
line should be going up. II the
Government will give us the min
ers We'll produce the coal"
ASKED II Cne JOVeTnment cOulC
not direct" workers into essen
tial industries, he said that per-
haps it could by enforced un-
employment" This has become q
popular left wing trade union
phrase since the enactment of the
Governments great powers over
men and materials.
AS corollary question. I askec
Horner what he thought of the Mar
shall Plan to aid Western European
recovery.
Opposes Conditional Loan.
Mr.. Horner said that, speaking fol
himself, he wanted no part OF thu
Marshall Plan If conditions were
attached to the loan.
What If it is gift or grant?"
asked.
1--WE want no conditions to a loar
or q gift" he replied.
Does that refer only to 4 condi.
Go Into Finals