Pacifists Worsted

Not since the days of tyrant George III has British Royalty summered at Weymouth. There last week met the paunchy delegates of organized British labor, the Trades Union Congress. Eight years ago their Council frightened the Empire by declaring a general strike, in many respects the most alarming and seditious event in the reign of George V (TIME, May 10. 1926). Last week the T. U. C. met in chastened mood.

Last year the Labor Party Conference, political spokesman for the T. U. C., adopted a resolution threatening a general strike should His Majesty's Government declare war. Last week organized British labor was out to kill that resolution. One after another the leaders of the T. U. C. agreed that the world is now menaced by Germany and Japan. They were heckled by pacifist Labor leaders such as Frank Rowlands who shouted, "In 1914 Socialist [Labor] leaders betrayed labor when the War began, but today it seems that the new leaders are betraying us in advance of war!"

Ignoring such attacks, President Andrew Conley of the T. U. C. threw maximum weight against the pacifists. Amid hubbub the T. U. C. adopted a resolution under which British laborers may work on whatever munitions orders come the way of their employers. As a sop to pacifism the T. U. C. went on record as still favoring the League of Nations but definitely rejected the program of a general strike to prevent war.

More startling to most delegates was a revelation by General Secretary Walter Citrine of the T. U. C. that the organization has been actively spending its funds to combat Fascism, chiefly in Germany and Austria. Mr. Citrine refused to say how much the T. U. C. has spent in Germany. In Austria, he declared. -L-44,000 ($220,000) has been spent for "relief" and -L-46.000 in fighting the Austrian Nazis.

Amid hot debate Secretary Citrine proposed a motion condemning all Fascist dictatorships.

"Why not condemn Communist dictatorships also?" he was asked.

"Because," replied Secretary Citrine, "both British and American labor have condemned Communism. In this instance we think it best to concentrate our efforts against Fascism."

By an overwhelming vote the T. U. C. then condemned fascisms of every kind, demanded that Parliament pass a law barring Sir Oswald Mosley and all other "British Fascists" from drilling their supporters or supplying them with arms.

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