REASSURANCE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18690, 13 May 1926, Page 9

REASSURANCE.

PRIME MINISTER'S VIEW.

STRIKE COLLAPSE CERTAIN.

(AUSTHALIAS AXD !f.Z. CABLE ASSOCT4TIOX.)

(Received May 12th, 5.5 p.m.)

LONDON, May 11

Mr Stanley Baldwin, in an interviewsaid that the beginning of the second week of the strike was reassuring. ''The community," he said, ''has shown itself to bo not only determined to overcome the threat against its constitutional political rights, but to Fe fully capable of defending them efficiently and calmly. There is no longer any doubt that the transport services can be carried out effectively, and are improving every hour. The ultimate victory of the nation, and the cause of constitutional government is, in fact, assured. "Thero must Le no confusion between the coal stoppage and the general strike. They are distinct issues. The coal negotiations will, 1 hope, be resumed directly the general strike is cancelled by the Trades Union Council. Then I will continue my efforts to see that, in the settlement, justice is done to both miners and owners.

"None of the objectives of the Trades Union Council in decreeing the strike has been attained. The nation has not been paralysed, and the holdup has failed. It is to l>e hoped before long that the Trades C'uion Council, and the men who have obeyed the strike call, will realise the futilitv of the strike, the collapse of which is inevitable. "Whon it is over Britain will have dono much to protect the political institutions of tho world. The country has shown that neither now, nor in the future, will unconstitutional interference, he tolerated.

TIDE HAS TURNED.

OFFICIAL OPTIMISM

(AUSTRALIAN AND N.S CABLB ASSOCIATION.)

LONDON. May 11

The Government spokesman's 1 o'clock, bulletin says: Tlw tide has turned' There is a tendency throughout the country for the men to drift back to work.

The appearance of London's streets, coupled with the increasing bustle of railway services supports the official optimism. For instance the London North-Eastern and Great Western respectively, ran 927 and 800 trains yesterday, including hundreds of goods trains, a grand total of 5503 trains for the day. Meanwhile road food traffic is increasing by leaps and bounds. Tho Chamber of Shipping assured the Government that it can maintain sufficient flow of all foods from tho docks. Volunteer workers now total 323,000. Disturbances are conspicuously absent.

POLICE RAID.

UNION LEADERS IN TROUBLE,

LONDON, May 11. At Birmingham, a sensation was caused by a police raid last night on tho offices of the Birmingham Trades Union Emergency Committee, which published a daily strike bulletin. Twonty leading Labour supporters concerned in the publication, were charged to-day with publishing a false statement likely to cause disaffection, namely, that the Government had been defeated in the House of Commons.

The principal defendants were Frederick Rudland. secretary of the Birmingham Trades Council, George Saynes, secretary of the Midland Bakery Operatives' Union, Charles Brett, Trade Union official, all Justices of the Peace; also Evelyn St. Leo Strachey, who contested the Aston Division at the last General Election. Defendants were remanded on bail.

An official report states that three men in Fulham wero sentenced to 21 days' hard labour for selling a leaflet declaring that the Welsh Guards were confined to their barracks to intimidate them. A man was sentenced to nine months' hard labour at Middlesbrough for inciting a crowd to damage property. Severe Sentences.

Hull is now quiet. Stiff terms of imprisonment were given to disturbers of the peace there, as elsewhere. Six ships were discharged by volunteers.

A motor-bus driver was stoned and injured in Huddersfield when the service was re-started. His assailant assisted the policeman to carry him into a house, after which the assailant .was arrested.

A Trades Union Congress communique states that so far as tho engineers and shipbuilders are concerned, no second strike call has yet been made. Any action which may be taken with regard to what is known as the second line of defence, is being initiated by various unions, locally, without direct instructions from the Trades Union Congress. The communique adds: The men's morale is as great as ever. The Government has appointed -a Shipping Advisory Committee to assist in free movement of shipping, and to decide questions arising out of the strike. The committee includes Sir Walter Eunciman and Sir Kenneth Ander-

CLOTHING WORKERS SEND MONEY.

(AUSTBALIAK fcXB *.l. CABL* ASSOCIATES.)

(Received May 12th, 5.5 p.m.)

OTTAWA, May 11

The Amalgamated Clothing Workers o/ America, who are in session at Montreal, have voted 150,000 dollars for the British strikers.