Foreign News: Labor’s Jubilee

Britons ever have been slaves!

—Communist Jibe.

What disgruntled Red agitators call “the slave mentality of British workingmen” was exhibited at Swansea, Wales, last week, when the 75th (“Diamond Jubilee”) British Trade Union Congress (representing all the major unions), was called to order by a onetime weaver, Ben Turner, a snowy bearded patriarch of 65, always “Ben,” never “Bennie.”

Ben opened with a homily upon the enslavement of the British workingman to Drink and Gambling. Not that Ben advocated prohibition or anything that would throw brewers or distillers out of work, “but,” said he sagely, “over £600,000,000 [$3,000,000,000] are spent annually in Great Britain on these two social customs, principally on the workingman’s beer and his bets on horses and dog racing.”

“All this,” cried Patriarch Ben, “is a waste of our manhood!”

Next Ben touched upon Peace and Disarmament, but not in such a way as to lose the sympathy of workers in munitions factories: “The Kellogg Treaty adds a bit,” he said, “yes it adds a bit, but only a bit to that peace mentality that needs creating. . . . Disarmament touches the interests of the working class, but it might be cheaper to pension all those engaged in naval or military work than to let them continue unholy preparations for war.”

Gradually, as President Ben opened and showed his mind, observers understood why the British Unions were whipped in the General Strike (TIME, May 10 to Nov. 29, 1926), why they have just accepted a 2½% cut in railway wages (TIME, Aug. 6), and why Great Britain is so safe for Constitutional Monarchy and employer Peers.

The Trade Union Congress, settling to business, refused to admit delegates from the Seamen’s Union (suspected of being red); refused to receive a delegation of unemployed coal miners who had walked many a mile from their mine to appeal for help; and shouted down John Joseph Jones M. P., famed as “Jumping Jack Jones,” when he rose to protest that the seamen and miners ought to be granted at least a hearing.

In pre-General Strike times “Jumping Jack” was one of the most popular Laborites in England and the enfant terrible of the House of Commons. Nowadays, with jobs scarce and employers holding the whip hand, Mr. Jones no longer jumps. His howlers down cried, “Keep out the Reds, but let all the rest in!”

Even potent James Henry Thomas, famed “Balance Wheel of British Labor,” was without his usual dynamic optimism as he informed the Congress that the Railway Men’s Unions, of which he is General Secretary, are now slightly dwindling in membership. “People,” said Mr. Thomas indignantly, “tell the workers not to believe what their leaders say, and say that the leaders have sold them.” It is Mr. Thomas who has risen from a grimy engineer’s cab to a snug little mansion with flagstone paths in the garden; to playing bridge with Peers; and to enjoying an occasional audience with His Majesty, who is reported to consider Laborite Thomas’ ideas extremely sound.

The Congress, after barkening to a few more leaders, plunged into consideration of Labor’s issue-of-the-hour: MONDISM.

Sir Alfred Mond, the great chemical tycoon, was created Baron Melchett not long after he instituted the so-called Mond Conferences (TIME, Jan. 23), facilitating direct group bargaining between Employer and Employed, without meddlesome intervention from the Government. The left wing of British Labor considers that unions now attempting to cooperate with employers through Mond Conferences are obtaining little except efficient and scientific demonstrations that higher wages or shorter hours are quite unfeasable.

The Congress, after debating MONDISM thoroughly last week, endorsed its principles by a vote representing 3,075,000 union members favorable and only 566,000 opposed.

A pitiable little scene passed almost unnoticed amid the triumph of MONDISM. Famed A. J. “Emperor” Cook, the fighting Laborite who precipitated the General Strike, rose and began to address the Congress with torrential passion, crying that trade unions exist not to cooperate with employers’ associations but to wring concessions from them.

The strain of his long, losing fight caused “Emperor” Cook to collapse in the Congress Hall. He was revived and stumbled out, to collapse again upon the pavement. On a sick man’s bed the fallen “Emperor of Labor” learned of the vote which means that the British Empire is now settling itself to revolve sedately on the tried and trusty pivots of King and Capital. Such is British Labor’s “Diamond Jubilee.”