LATE CABLE NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 165, 9 June 1919, Page 8

LATE CABLE NEWS.

■-<*- —--- ■ ■ W-All OFFICE AND "LABOR

A SECRET CIRCULAR

[Pbbss association.] , and N .2. Cable Assoeifttio* (liecoi-v-ed Juno 9, 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 8. In.tho House, of Commons, on the ■'Army -Estimates, Mi- AdaJnson called . attention to a secret circular .issued by the War Office and published in a Labor newspaper calling on commanding officers to report weekly whether tho troops, wore likely to respond to an order to pres<irve the public peace and assist in strikebreaking. ,-,'', • Mr ■ Adainsten said1 that the circular produced intcn.se resentment ■among the .working classes. He de>- . clared that the War Office was playing with. fire. i Colonel Churchill replied that the document' was purely military, and •of no political significance. Ho had not seen it till it was published: it was issued when strikes ■ were prevalent and threateiiing to disorganise -.tho.■ country"** vital needs, and the troops were restless legarding demooilis;vbk>n. The wording of the circular was unfortunate, particularly tho phrase strike-breaking. It did not .mean employing soldiers as blacklegs and replacing strikers in. an industrial dispute. It .meant that tho State- ?uis)b use all its resources,

inc-Utdmg .naval- «iid) military;, to ■ carry on ."tho country's! vital needs ■ and prove tit a general ca/tastrophe. rnio commanding.' offices' replies to tho cireuhv.' dojirecated tho employinerit of troops for strike-breaking. • The circular had now lapsed, as'.thft . ckcumstanicaj had changed. A copy was' stoleno :ind published by the newspaper, with tiro '■"deliberate intention of provoking a mutiny and a general strike, 'wiiich was to smash up t society". : ■ •■ ■• -: .■'■■..