NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE POSSIBLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 111, 12 May 1926, Page 7

NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE POSSIBLE.

THE TIDE DISTINCTLY TURNING.

ONE DAY'S TRAINS NUMBER 5500. DISTURBANCES CONSPICUOUS BY ABSENCE. THOUSANDS GO TO WORK ONCE MORE. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 11. Mr. Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister, in an interview said:—"At the beginning of the sceond week it is reassuring to be able to state that the community has shown itself not only determined to overcome the threat against its constitutional and political rights, but is fully capable of defending them efficiently and calmly. "There is no longer any doubt that transport and other services can be carried out effectually. They are improving hourly, and the ultimate victory for the nation and the cause of constitutional Government is, in fact, assured. "There must be no confusion between coal stoppage and the general strike. They are distinct issues. The coal negotiations will, I hope, be resumed directly the general strike is cancelled by the Trades' Union Congress. Then I shall continue my efforts to see that in the settlement justice is done to both miners and owners. "None of the Trades Union Congress objectives in decreeing a strike has been attained. The nation is not paralysed. The hold-up has failed. It is to be hoped ere long the Trades- Union Congress and the men who obeyed the strike call will realise the futility of the strike, the collapse of which is inevitable. "When it is over Britain will have done much to protect the political Institutions of the world. "The country has shown that it will neither now nor hereafter tolerate any unconstitutional interference by any organisation."—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) The fact that Mr. Ramsay Macdonald interviewed the Miners' Executive before the meeting of the General Council of the Trades' Union Congress, and that Mr. J. H. Thomas, after a visit to the House of Commons, returned to the headquarters of the congress, where Mr. Bevan, the dockers' leader arrived in • motor car, occasioned talk that peace moves are progressing beneath the surface. Official confirmation, however, is not obtainable. The Trades' Union Congress Council said there had been no developments and they had no information regarding the intervention by Sir Herbert Samuel, chairman of the Coal Commission. Mr. A. J. Cook, interviewed, said a number of people had been approaching the miners and officials, with a view of getting a settlement, but Mr. Cook repeated that peace was possible at any moment on terms securing the status quo for the miners. Following the strike the meat porters of Smitnfield have now announced that the market is a protected area. Barriers have been drawn across all approaches, and the workers" are assured of full protection. Measures are being taken to convoy lorries from the docks conveying imported meat. In response to a request of the Smithfield Emergency Committee for volunteer drivers and workers, there have been so many offers that no further applications are desired. A party of Conservative members of Parliament, headed by Sir Frank Kelson, who has been visiting Russia, returned to London by aeroplane. Sir Frank stated that a copy of the report of the visit had been handed to Mr. Baldwin and Sir Austen Chamberlain. This would, however, not be published Until after the strike, but it would then make impressive reading. The Government spokesman, in his one o'clock bulletin, says that the tide has turned. There ia a tendency throughout the country for the men to drift back to work. k-. ■, The appearance of the streets of London, coupled with the increasing bustle of the railway services, supports the official optimism. For instance, the London and North Eastern, and the 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 and food traffic is Increasing by leaps and bounds. The Chamber of Shipping assured the Government that its workers now total 323,000. Disturbances are conspicuous by their absence.— (A. and N.Z.)