Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, NOV. 9th, 1920.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 November 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, NOV. 9th, 1920.

WHERE REVOLUTION LEADS. The strike situation at Home, and ail that it carries in its train,, has eased fortunately, but It is not improbable that a valuable lesson has been learned, an ! that from now on a better condition of affairs might subsist. In September last when Mr J. 'H. Thomas M.P. was opening the Trade Union Congress at Portsmouth, he dealt with the labor outlook in a very gloomy tone of speech. “Nobody,” he said, “but an optimist could find occasion for anything but apprehension, and it was in finitely hardeT to make peace than to make war.” But there was one statement he made which focussed thought, and that was his remark that “the action of organised labor in attempting to challenge thy constitution is certainly dangerous, and perhaps even more so than appears to be recognised generally in trade union circles.” Mr Thomas wont on to say that there were stringent times ahead for labor in any case. He said: “All the available evidence tended to show tluv the coming winter in England will in many respects, be the hardest experienced for a great number of years. Adready there are thousands of unemployed, and there are clear and unmistakeable signs of a break in the trade boom.” Labor is fortunate in having such a man of clear vision as Mr Thomas who has the courage to speak out so plainly. It is a habit with Mr Thomas—this plain speaking—and lie is certainly one of Labor’s best assets. However, while he advised Mr Thomas could not control and in due course the strike came to pass. It was not carried out with the vigor which might have been expected and early in the course of events the Labor leaders were asking their followers to ibe courageous. But the strikelind one useful lesson for the strikers, and that was the demonstration of the impotence of the revolutionary spirit in Britain just now According to a story circulated tb-ough the cable news last week, the Trade Union organ, “The Democrat,” related in its news column how the extremists during the coal negotiations "were ready to risk a revolution. When this great hour struck, the man to handle the situation suddenly appeared on the scene, his identity is not disclosed, but he is a national hero nevertheless, and he deserves all the icredit which can be heaped upon him for his clear and lucid—not to say humorousway of putting the issues to his red—disppspd comrades. The 'Labor paper goes on tp say that during a disouscussion there appeared to be a majority fin favour of devolution, .‘On® member thereupon said: “All right; then let’s have a businesslike revolution. Name your Cabinet and commanders of your armies. Decide from where you yyijl obtain machine-guns and how to obtain supplies of ammunition. Decide who is to replace you;' fallen, and make out a list of those you iqtpnd to hang and prevent thorn hanging you.” The logic of all this pointed remark settled the resolution and revolutionaries. The “Democrat” alleges, according to the cabled version, ijliat these questions determined the attitude of Mr Robert Smlllie, and the policy of the conference, and the revolt was put in the background and a commencement made to secure the best terms possible o>which to resume work. The unknown speaker realised the force of Mr Thomas* advice that it would be dangerous to challenge the Constitution, and he illustrated the situation in so graphic a manner that it is not improvable some.of his hearers fancied themselves facing machine guns, or dangling from a convenient lamp post. The insanity of a revolution was brought lionm to them by a few briefly stated issues, and they were awakened to a sense of where a revolution would lead 1 .