Labor Speaks

Britannia awaited the Conference of the British Labor Party at Liverpool with expectant nervousness. The recent International Trade Unionist Congress at Scarborough (TIME, Sept. 21) had been stampeded by Communists into adopting a resolution of censure against the entire British Empire. It was rumored that Labor was "going Red." Gouty peers contemplated the event with misgivings.

Communist Showdown. As the

Conference opened, Communists rushed to overwhelm it at the start. Although the Labor Party had voted last year to support no Communist candidates for three years, they demanded that the question of whether the Communist Party should become affiliated with the Labor Party be put to vote. Their opponents protested. Undeterred, the Communists forced the matter to a decision. Votes were cast by 1,000 delegates for more than 3,200,000 members of the Labor Party. When their ballots had been counted they were found to stand 2,954,000 "card votes" to 321,000 against the Communists. Automatically British Labor repledged itself to support no "Reds" at the next election.

Second Showdown. Next day the Communists rallied and succeeded in filling the hall with heated verbiage. First they offered a resolution ordering Mr. MacDonald to apologize to the Soviets because of the action of the Foreign Office in making public the notorious Zinoviev letter, which stampeded the country to Conservatism at the last election. Came a chorus of "Noes!" and the resolution was quashed.

Then Willie Gallacher, Scotch Red, moved to condemn the Labor Party for doing so little to aid the unemployed. Quoth J. Sexton, veteran Laborite: "Ye contribute the magnificent sum of 30 bob to party funds. . . . For that ye want us to start a bloody revolution, establish an international republic, and, I believe, birth control ... ye can't get much for 30 bob. Spring us another quid* and we might do it." Communist Willie vanished amid jeers and laughter. "Jumping Jack" Jones,f famed irrepressible Laborite, topped off the affair by adding his regret that "birth control had not been introduced before some of the delegates were born."

MacDonald Triumph. From there on, the MacDonald forces held the reins. Whenever the convention showed a tendancy to bolt toward lurid resolutions which might cost the Labor Party votes, Mr. Mac-Donald yanked it promptly back to good behavior. At last, realizing that Mr. Lloyd George awaits eagerly the first clear call to save England from Red Labor, MacDonald arose and rid the Conference of whatever aura of pinkness still hung over it. In a burst of triumphant oratory that recalled the days when he headed England's first and only Labor Government he cried: "The Communist thesis that the workers should prepare not for an easy parliamentary victory, but for victory by a heavy civil war is an impossible thesis for the Labor Party. The Communists should create their own party. We want the support of none but honest men."

Under his guidance the Labor Party outlined a program to attract the moderate voter at the next election This program Communists impotently labeled "crawling, sniveling gradualism." Its adherents described it as "advocating reorganization of society on Socialistic lines by parliamentary means and in progressive stages."

By that time the meeting was under such rigid MacDonald control that, not only was a Red protest overwhelmed by a "card vote" of 2,844,000 to 206,000, but a moderate Trade Union leader, Ernest Bevin, was snowed under, 2,587,000 to 512,000, when he assailed the former Premier on a minor issue.

Mr. MacDonald later announced that the Labor Party was opposed to the contemplated Locarno Security Pact (see Page 12); but defended the Dawes Plan as "a step forward . . . the first great economic experiment . . . free of political prejudice." He denounced the Versailles Treaty as a "horrible settlement, iniquitous as war itself."

Further Developments: 1) Oswald Mosely, wealthy Socialist baronet and M. P., husband of Lady Cynthia, daughter of Lord Curzon, 2) "Emperor" Cooke, incendiary Coal-Laborite, took little part in the debate, but caused a sensation by remaining seated while the national anthem was played.

*"Quid" is anglicism for -L-1 sterling; equivalent to "20 bob" (20 shillings) or $4.88.

t'The wittiest man in the House of Commons" (TIME, April 7, 1924). His interjections have become bywords: "Lloyd George may be the wizard of Wales, but he's the blizzard of Britain;" "The man who'll come out on strike for fun will go to hell for pleasure."