19 MAY 1917, Page 2

A great many of the Chatham workers showed the best

possible spirit, and the Woolwich correspondent of the Daily Chronicle, writing in Wednesday's paper, states that in a London district, apparently Woolwich, where the members of the Workers' Union are over twenty thousand strong, a mass meeting -held on Tuesday strongly dissociated itself from the members of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in the- present strike. The resolution, which went on to declare that they should remain at work, was carried with enthusiasm. The mover, Mr.. Tom Clark, observed that he did not know a single Trade Union which was in sympathy with the strikers in the present crisis, by which, of course, he means the executive of any Trade Union, for unfortunately this is not trno of a great many of the members. Mr. Tom Macnamara, one of the, organizers of the Workers' Union, made an admirable speech, and. declared that the protected occupations scheme was much fairer to the Unions as a whole than a trade card scheme. He also asked a very significant question : What would the present strikers do if the men of the Mercantile Marine were to say, " We will go out and you'.11have no food until we have had our way "1 Stopping the supply of munitions was the same thing. Mr. Macnamara has hit the nail .on the head. At such a moment as this to stop the supply of munitions is quite as great a crime against the State as starving the people.