LABOR IN BRITAIN

NZ Truth, Issue 725, 10 May 1919, Page 1

LABOR IN BRITAIN

Big Demonstration m London "SANE" LABOR V.LEADERS LAUGHED AT. Bob Smillie, Miners' President, . Receives Ovation. Ever since the signing' of the armistice we, m the ','Britains beyond the seas" as 'the lip-loyalists and Plute patriots love to put it, have had very' little authentic news of -how militant Labor was carrying itself m the Cold Country. This has not been .because our various governments m the States across the Tasman and Dominion of New Zealand m any way interfered with the transmission or publication of the same, but simply because the cables are the property of the Plute press "push," and these gentry took Jolly good care that nothing much that was favorable to Labor got over the wires to the exclusion or delay, of "kidsteak" stuff m the intei'est of the capitalists and commercial cormorants. It is only as Labor exchanges come to hand that the real state of affairs is mad€ pjain. Here is a report of a Labor and Socialist meeting- .held recently m London. It is here reprinted from a London paper m order to 'counteract the lying assertions of the apologists for Fat on the day-lie papers of this Dominion. Some of the speakers named are well-known to many readers of "Truth," amqng them Robert Smillie, of Larkhall, Lanarkshire, president of the British Mines' Federation, whose stand for the workingclass m general and the mines m particular throughout the FOUR - AND -A - HALF YEARS OF WAR has been admired by every Labor man m New Zealand. , The meeting reported below was held m the Albert Hall, London. The crowds were waiting? outside long 1 before the doors opened, and by half -past seven the great hall was packed from, flpor to gallery, literally not a vacant ''seat. Even the sacred Royal Box wag invaded and occupied, and its crown draped ' symbolica lly m a refl flag. And outside the hall were thousands more who cheerfully held a demonstration of their own, with Foot and Carter and A'vnall ivs speakers. A tremendous audience — and tense with emotion. The exhilaration ol! peace, the victories of the revolution abroad, the dramatic decision of the morning's conference — all served, to charge the air with excitement. The first big demonstration of feeling ' came with the raising of a red banner with the words : "HANDS OFF RUSSIA!" It brought cheer upon cheer for the revolutions — for the Russians, for the Germans, for the International. Then, m the orchestra gallery, up went another banner demanding the release of John Maclean, the Glasgow schoolmaster, and all political prisoners; and the great audience growled its anger. The singing of the "Red Flag" brought the demonstration to its climax; and then, m a roar of cheering and a flutter of red flags, came the speakers. First a dramatic minute while, at McGurk's suggestion, the whole ten thousand men and women rose and stood. in an impressive silence of tribute to those who had fallen and those who were still fighting and suffering the world over. And then the speeches — and the trouble. The trouble was this: that the great bulk of that audience were looking for a strong and Vigorous lead from the platform. Diplomatic relations with the Coalition had been broken off; they looked for a/declaration of war; for a statement of policy that would break for ever with mere Liberal reformism and Would link the party definitely with the Continental movement m the Interests of John Maclean and all political prisoners and ooercibn. . They waited a few minutes quietly; then a roar of protest came as .MoGurk spoke of "social reform." Another warning came when Adamson (Fife Miners) boasted of Labor's part In the war. But it was when he referred to the "securing of wages" that the storm burst. Europe m revolution capitalism attacked and SHAKING ON ITS FOUNDATIONS, and m Britain there were L.abor leaders co blind, to the signs of the times as. to be content to talk of security of wages, and .housing reform, and all the commonplaces of Tory and Liberal platforms for a generation past! The situation of 1918 and the words and ideas of 1906! That, one could see, was the thought that brought half the audience to its feet m a great- surge of angry protest These were things Lloyd George himself might be saying; not the things they had come to hear from the leaders of. Labor. For five minutes the storm raged. Cheers and cries rang from side to side. The "Red Flag" was sung again. McGurk appealed vainly for order. At last Lansbury intervened - and the demonstrators listened while he rebuked them for ill-behavior to the guests of London, and appealed to them to give that free speech which they always demanded for themselves. The appeal succeeded; after that there were murmurs and interruptions from time to time, but they heard Adamson to the end; and they sat silently while Margaret Bon dfleld (the worthy daughter of the renowned "Radical Parson" of the Gladstonian ( era), added her chiding to Lansbury's. Robert Smillie, president of the British Miners Federation, of coui-se, got a great ovation from that audience. His demand for the release of the prisoners brought a great cheer. But still greater was the applause that greeted his insistence that the Labor party must go back to Westminster, NOT TO COMPROMISE, BUT TOy FIGHT, that its programme must be backed with the .full ppwer of the movement outside the House. So, too. the applause broke out when Thomas declared that they must .take I "N6 more war" as their battlecry, 'only • to die discontentedly away when he

followed it up with a mero warning against "economic wars." Another had mislead the signs of the times I That protest of silence was the mood of the whole meeting. . To interpret it as some did as a demonstration by a knot of extremists of personal dislike to the political leaders is a dangerous misunderstanding Some personal prejudices did nrid vent. But the great bulk of the audience had no share m thi«. When Henderson declared for the immediate rebuilding of the International they cheered him as loudly ,as they cheered Smillie when he demanded the immediate Socialisation of land. They were expressing approval not of men, but of policies. They were telling the leaders— in the rough-and-ready way which is the only one a great gathering has — what was the mind Of the rank and file of London Labor. And their voice was no hesitating one. They were and are as tired, as Labor m New Zealand is tired—' I tired' to death— p'f cprnprpmise, of polir cies which are a mere reflection of the policies of old Liberalism. They want, aa the workers of God's Own want, the damned ■Coalition, not only In word'S, but m fact. .They see a clear issue between "oligarchy;- and demo? cracj', "between /'militarism:. -and inters nationalism, between capitalism and Labor, between the Revolution and the Reaction. Victory or defeat at the polls is a. small' matter -in comparison. That is why the loudest cheer of all the evening came when Smillie declared that it would be better to be beaten out. of existence than to be dragged through mud to victory. That, then, was the really significant thing of the whole meeting; not what the leaders said to the rank and file, but what the jrank and file, with no uncertain accent, told the leaders. He that hath ears to hear, let' him hear! . '.' : "'■-;■ •