A RED BRAND FOR LABOUR?

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 20, 24 January 1913, Page 6

A RED BRAND FOR LABOUR?

"Will you walk into my parlour?" was practically the invitation issued by the Red Federation to Labour generally for the present peculiar conference. The fly has walked, but the fly lopes to harness the spider with his own strands for fly purposes The official reports of the meetings plainly reveal the fact that the delegates are dancing mainly to the tunes played by the Red band t which dominates the assembly. The United Labour Party, which has many sergeants and corporals but no captain, ig Buffering for its leaderlessness. If one strong man had been in command he would hay,e opposed the folly of agreeing to official representation at the conclaveconvened by ultra-Soeialiste. The executive has blundered into a decision to be represented by Messrs. E. Tregear and W. T.^ Mills, and the penalty for this poor piece of strategy will be paid in. due course. Yesterday, according to a report supplied from the conference, Mr. Tregear said "he was a Socialist and in touch with the Socialist Party, but did not belong to the Socialist Party, ahd was friendly to the trades unionists. . . He could not imagine a . conservative trade or craft unionist suiting flis views to meet on the same footing with a federationist. . . He advocated the formation of a council to work together on matters they could agree upon, and agree to differ on other things." Thus, in the view of one of the United Labour Party delegates, it should be possible for the "Uniteds" to have a modus vivendi with the "Reds," an understanding to join forces on certain occasions. Is the Labour Party to be like the bat of the fable, claiming to be a mouse or sparrow according to the needs of the moment? It seems to us that in coquetting with the "Revolutionaries" the "Evolutionaries" deserve to have applied to them the words which Lady Macbeth spoke about her ambitious hus« band :— Wu'ldst have, jreab Glamls, That which cries, "Thus thoti must do, if thou have it" ; . And that which rather thou dost fear to do Than wishest should be undone. Perhaps each section—the "Reds" and the "Pinks"— hopes to/ use the other as a stepping-stone to higher things. Possibly each hopes to play monkey to the other's cat for the chestnuts.' Is it a great game of , finesse between rival leaders? The wortls of the official reports may oohceal much of the thought in some of tjio movers' minds," but whether each has, or has not, a plot of superhuman subtlety to take advantage of the other, we have an opinion that neither will profit much ultimately from the long hours of talk. .The Federation of Labour wit be Red as long as it has its present leaders A and a reflection of the scarlet flag is on the "Uhiteds" by reason of one delegate's statements. On present appearances the "Pinks" havegone nearer to the "Reds" than the "Reds" have gone to the "Pinks." The United Labour Party seems to have swerved still further from moderate Liberalism. It prefers, apparently, to be looking for alliances among "Revolutionary Socialists."