LABOR DICTATORS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 August 1920, Page 5

LABOR DICTATORS.

GOVERNMENT WILL RESIST. COUNCIL OF ACTION SCOUTED. By Telegraph.—Press Aaßn.—CopyTlfht. London, August' 10. In the House of Commons, Mr. Billing drew attention to the resolutions threatening a general strike in the event of military measures being taken against Russia, which he described as tantamount to Labor dictatorship under the name of the Council of Action. Mr. Billing asked if the time had not come to terminate the organisation of industrial disturbance for the purpose of achieving political ends. Mr. Lloyd George said that the policy of the Government appeared in no wise •to suffer from the Labor Conference. This swing of a sledge hammer at an open door was only intended for display. Any attempt at dictation of policy to the Government or Parliament by industrial action struck at the root of the democratic constitution of Britain and would be resisted with all tlje forces at the Government's disposal.

Mr. Bonar Law. in, moving the Adjournment until October 19, with a provision that Parliament, might be convened earlier if desirable, said that nothing had occurred since the adjournment except what appeared in the newspapers. The Government's policy regarding the Polish-Russian question had been laid down in the dearest possible manner by the Prime Minister. There was not the slightest foundation for the suggestion that the policy had been altered by any expression of public opinion or action of the body calling itself, "The Council of Action." There had not been the slightest deviation from the beginning in the Polish attitude towards the Polish-Russian war. He stated that the Government's message to the British representative in Warsaw for conveyance to the Poles laid it down .that we should not interfere if the Russian terms were genuine, and it went no further than that. The message was communicated simultaneously to the Allies, and the Italian Government telegraphed its entire approval of this step taken.—Reuter Service.

Received August 17, 11.10 pjn. London, August 18. Mr. Bonar Law said that Kameneff yesterday sent the Prime Minister a letter stating that the terms submitted to us would not be - altered. In the event of a contingency arming which was not anticipated .the 'Government would take no action untif the House oi Commons was convened, and its approval obtained. ' :

Mr. Bonar Law concluded by stating that the world's one need to-dav; was peace. _ It was not our bnsiness to determine the form of the Government of any country except our own. ' The Prime Minister tendered the Poles advice, and emphasised that the Government would not lend Britain to any warlike operations, except on grounds so plain and obvious that the whole country would be behind it.—Router Service.

FRENCH London, August 1(1 Thn Council of Action has received a telegram from the Russian Central Council of Trade Unions thanking the British workers for their practical sympathy in forcing the hand of the British Government and thus forging a new link between the workers of Britain and Russia and uniting them into a strong fraternal union against which no international bourgeois? can prevail. There is some mystery over the departure of Messrs. Adamson and Oosiing, who have not left London. ' AUSTRALIAN WORKERS' ACTION. Sydney. August 17. The Marine Stewards' Union recommended the Australian Transport Federation to call on all affiliated bodies to refuse to transport any men oversens in the event of England declaring war on Russia.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.