NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE coal dispute has entered upon a phase of which the significance cannot be exaggerated. The coal- owners have .bluntly refused to attend to Mr. Churchill's admonitions.; they have declared that they cannot consent to a national agreement, and they have reiterated their statement that as a matter of fact the Mining Association has no longer any authority to take part in any discus- sions about a national agreement. In these circum- stances everybody is looking to the -Prime -Minister. What will he do ? In our opinion he will do well to rely: first of all upon persuasion, but, if that fails,Jo remember that there are possibilities of legislation open to a Govern-- ment which means to end an intolerable deadlock. There is certainly nobody in Great Britain better equipped than Mr. Baldwin by his position, by his record, and bx his natural: qualities to persuade owners and miners voluntarily -to settle their differences.
