AN APPEAR TO LABOR.

Grey River Argus, 29 December 1915, Page 7

AN APPEAR TO LABOR.

VICTORY IN THE FACTORIES

WILL THE BRITISH WORKv ■: -■■i MAN LAG? '' LONDON, December 27. Mr Lloyd George addressed 3000 trade uiiion leaders at Glasgow on Xmas morning. At the outset there was a good deal of interruption and the singing- of "The Bed Elag" by syndicalists and a small section apparently opposed to the war. The interrupters were distinctly in the minority. The meeting- was generally good-humoured. • Mr Lloyd George explained that Ms proposals were the only means of getting 80,000 skilled workers for the State-owned, State-erected, State-controlled, and 'State-equipped munition factories, which they are now establishing throughout the Kingdom. They, must take the skilled men from the occupation where unskilled men and women would, after a fortngiht's training, be able to perform the work. Upon the trades unions' acceptance of these proposals depended not only victory but the saving of numberless lives. He could not report to Parliament that British workmen refused to suspend their rules. "When," he added, "the Russians early in 1915 conquered Galicia and threatened to overrun Hungary, a change came in th.c German, * factories, which were I busy throughout the winter potHS j ing out a torrent of guns and shells. These pierced the lines i and drove back the Russians. [ That was the German workmen's great victory. The French workpeople by patriotic devotion have, saved their country. If the Britishe^workers are prepared to go on another year they might get lielp from the American workmen, in 1917, but time is vital. In the eveiit of British workmen refusing, the only alternative is to tell the Kaiser frankly we cannot go on. 'The Kajser might let us off with the annexation of Belj gmni", payment of an indemnity, loss of a few colonies and loss. of sea command." He urged the labour leaders to" rise and grasp the great opportunity. Subsequently he conferred with a committee of the trades unions, when satisfactory arrangements i- were made for . the immediate | solution of the labour difficulty.