The following day witnessed an unprecedented scene. The General Council appointed Mr. Bromley to gurrort to the miners on strike, it. Bromley it may be mentioned broke the truce arranged between the miners and the Council deferring an investigation into the con-Jduct of the general strike by publishing an attack on the miners in which he: asked why workes earning a pound er two'a week should fight for miners earning £13. per week. A few days later posters. [were plastered on the hoardings of every industrial: district in which {this statement was repeated. They were the work of a political organization desirous of stop pi /working class help to the miner's wives and children's fund, Bromley was never able to substantiate his statement, which feeling against him in the trade union movement. The miners' dele-_
Jgates were Mown to have arranged demonstration against him in the T. U, C. and the moment he at-tempied to speak this broke out, In stentorian tones Mr. McGurk, demanded whether it waz the intention of the Council to deliberately insult the miners by putting' up Mr. Bromley as seconder to such Jo resolution. 'This was the signal for pandemonium ard in a minute' the whole Congress was on its feet and had divided itself into two angry camps hurling abuse and it each other. "Li "Hypocrite," ward," were among the mildest epithers' hurled at Mr, Bromley. The President ordered several delegates tw leave the meeting but they refused and tranquility was—only restored by adjourning it until the delegates had recovered their tempers. After the adjournment Mr, Bromley was permitted to speak, and during the ensuing discussion it was stated that during the 19 weeks the dispute had lasted all the Miner's Federation had been lo to pay its members was an average of one shilling and- two pence half-penny per week to each member. It was also stated that over two thirds of the money subscribed from outside sources came from Russia. Nothing at all had bboen received up to that time from America.
The Exclusion of Tomsky The only other matter of interest dealt with, by the Congress, iwas the Tomsky letter. As it is not considered etiquette to discuss fraternal delegate's address it was not open for general discussion but} was answered by the General Council fed statement -contain-jing both letter and reply. It may bbe remembered that Mr. Tomsky was refused entry into Great Britain to attend the Congress by the Home Secretary. "It is generally, and po haps rightly, believed here that this exclusion had its origin in the help the Russians have been giving. the miners during their strike. Many of the delegates with strong. sympathies towards the miners say. that the Home Secretary took action out of sympathy for the General Council in thus Keeping away most_ bitter and The TUE. pro-this exclusion and Tomsky tried to surmount the bargo by telegraphing his fraternal address to the Congress.
It is a remarkable document. 1 opens by conveying fraternal greet-ngs to the Congress from the eight fand a half million organized work-Jers of Soviet Russia. It sends these greetings in particular "to the eourtageous battalions of mine workers who continue to defend their rights, their living standards, and thei past historic gains, despite the furious attacks and betrayals of certain leaders of the general strike, and the capitulating mentality' of others." Tt goes on to point out that the Government admits the representatives of the Amsterdam International, who blgeklex the miners, but refuse admission to the "Representatives of the Soviet workers, who, under extremely difficult conditions are giving their last. penny to help their working class: brothers in Soviet worker the blame therefore must be laid on the: bend-the-knees attitude of trade union leaders like Thomas. They. were too loyal to eapital—too disloyal to the working class. When. the General Council now reports: jon the general strike, Thomas, the main instigator of defeat, thinks nothing of leaving for overseas and. evading responsibility."
It goes on to tell the Congress that had hes strike not been called been freed from your Government Jaristocrats and mineowners." The most courageous fight would be lost we are told "if there are people at H.Q., and-in officers' staff [who are prepared to shirk the fight, prepare the capitalists, and go straight over to he With this bitter pill there promise of £300,000 more help for the miners. To anyone who knows the feeling of the miners in the worst industrial districts it is small [wonder that Russia seems to them 'a worker's paradise "whose rulers give bread while the Governments of all other countries have nothing Dut stones for the workers,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.