OPINIONS CONFLICT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26905, 18 October 1948, Page 5

OPINIONS CONFLICT

ATTITUDE OF BRITISH MINERS FRENCH COAL STRIKE N.Z.P.A.—Copyright. Rec. 8 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 15. Open conflict between the presidenl of the National Union of Mineworkers, Mr Will Lawther, and the general secretary, Mr Arthur Horner, has developed over the attitude, of the British miners to the French miners' strike. Mr Horner, on Tuesday, told the French unionists that the British miners were behind their strike. Mr Lawther said, Mr Horner was not entitled to support the policy of the Communist Party, which was absolutely contrary to the policy of the Mineworkers’ Union, the Trades Union Congress, and the Socialist Government. Mr Corner to-day said he would retract none of his support for

the French miners’ strike. "I like Mr Lawther immensely. He is a great proletarian who has been led astray. We were great pals, but this is the end of the road. lam a Communist, and if I lose my position it is for the miners to decide.”

The Trades Union Congress is not directly concerned in the conflict, says the Manchester Guardian’s labour correspondent, but the General Council will discus action to counter the Communist influences in the trade union movement at its next meeting on October 27. One probable step is the decision to publish documented evidence of C.ommunist activities in Britain and relations between the British Communist Party and the Cominform. The British Communist Party is not a constituent member of the information bureau in Bucharest through which control over the Cominform is exercised, but it follows the party line without any sign of deviation. The T.U.C. General Council will no doubt move cautiously before deciding what sort of evidence, to publish to support its warnings, because it may be tempted with various forged documents, but the mere assembly of official Communist Party statements and their relation to events would provide an authentic backing for the T.U.C. to make clear its own position. • Mr Leslie Hore, Belisha told the Conservative Crusaders’ Conference that Britain’s economic recovery was involved in the Lawther-Horner dispute. “Already the French strike for which Mr Horner has been showing sympathy is costing France every 24 ' hours its daily share of Marhall aid. The Cominform’s object—the sabotaging of Marshall Aid—is being * achieved.” Mr Hore Belisha declared that a first-class row in the Mineworkers’ Union would conduct to the same end in Britain by distracting the miners from their nationally indispensable work—production would be reduced, the standard of living would fall, and industrial unrest would be promoted. The controversy between Mr Horner and Mr Lawther brought to light the urgent need for a clear restatement of the proper relationship between trade .unionism and politics. Mr Horner, on his return from Paris to-day, stated that criticism of him did not start with his declared support of the French miners’ strike. “This at-< tack on me was launched before 1 went to Paris. The crux of the matter is that they have prepared for wai and they think it will be very inconvenient to imprison me if at that time I were the miners’ general secretary : ' The decision has been made to try to : remove me before that contingency arises. It is all part of a campaigr. not only against me, but against all Communists in key positions in an) union.”