Glasgow, May 18.
Tt is never pleasant to confess ourselves badly beaten, but the! strike leaders in Scotland are taking their defeat with a bad grace which is far from tactical. They recase to admit that it was an unconditional surrender, and they are endeavouring to create the impres-jon that, though it was "unconditional" on the surface, in reality terms were implied. If we examine the reason for the collapse it will found, I-think, that Sir John Simon's speech on the absolute illegality of the General Strike had a devastating effect on the trade union leaders, Tt was a pronouncement which had a specially marked effect on the logical Scots, They had felt themselves.perfectly secure under the Trades Disputes Act from any legal responsibility for the consequences of the strike, and it gave them furiously to think to discover that, in the opinion of one of the foremost lawyers of the day, the General Strike was a distinct breach of the law, and that not only the funds of the union but their own private properties were attachable for the damage done by it, The second factor was undoubtedly the weakening of the rank and file. Here in the North a very large section of the better class artisans disliked the strike from the outset, though they hes-{tiated to disobey the order to come out. Others again came out willingly enough, but grew, alarmed when it was clear that the Government had unsuspected powers resistance. Hence, after the first few days, there were _tricklings back to work, which were. in ever-increasing volume, and made i very probable that "the second line the strike would prove unre-Te. On top of these factors. came Br. Justice Asth ment, which dotted the John' Simon's dictum. The more responsible of the leaders who had avowedly gone into the strike with reluctance, felt that no time should be lost intending a situation which could only continue to their great detriment, and even the most extreme were not prepared to continue a hopeless campaign. The Labour leaders in the West of Scot-Innd are deeply chagrined by the ccllzpse which must inevitably set hack the authority and prosperity of the trade unions. Possibly they associated themselves with the strike in order that they might keep ils control out of the hands of thr inteanvigents, who would have it for purely subversive ends, hi in giving it countenance, they came participants in sits war on the community, and they must be held responsible for the losses and privations it has brought. If their moderation had" had a_ real value they would have resigned when a general strike was decided upon.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.