23 SEPTEMBER 1911, Page 2

The Amalgamated Society, at a second meeting, decided to refrain

from putting their resolution into effect, and Mr. Mitchell, of the Board of Trade, was sent to Dublin to promote a settlement, but the negotiations failed, and late on Thursday night a general strike was declared. Public opinion in Ireland is strongly against the strike, and we note that the Freeman's Journal condemns the Amalgamated Society for declining to declare an English strike after calling out the Irishmen a month ago to support the English strikers. " The startling absence of reciprocity will open the eyes of the men to the dangers of being tied up with Englishmen in a union which ignores national differences." Whatever they may think of the merits of the case, the Nationalists object strongly to an English union running an Irish strike. We deal elsewhere with this latest development' evelopment of the sympathetin strike, which goes far to justify the contention that concession to the demands of the new trade unionism involves the abdication of its functions by the Central Government.