Arms and the Unions Severe criticism has recently been made
of the delays in the execution of the Government's arms programme ; it now appears that there will be further delays in the "speed up" of production for which the Government has asked the employers and the men. The greatest difficulty is perhaps the attitude adopted by the Amalgamated Engineering Union. It now seems certain that the Union will not decide on its answer to Sir Thomas Inskip's invitation to them to confer with the employers until its annual con- ference at the end of May, and when it does the answer may not be satisfactory to the Government. The Union's attitude is clear and definite. It demands that the Govern- ment's promise to limit arms-profits should be strictly fulfilled ; that assurance should be at once forthcoming. It asks that its members should be protected against the effects of a " dilution " of labour ; effective guarantees on that should be given. Finally, the Union may consent to co-operate with the Government and the employers only on condition that the Spanish Government should be allowed to buy arms on the same terms as other countries. The situation is difficult and delicate. But it is a serious matter to decline to further national self-defence because of a difference of opinion on the very debatable question of Spain ; and it is impossible for the Government to admit the claim of anyone but an elected Parliament to decide national policy.
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