19 AUGUST 1911, Page 2

Though the strike is described as general and thousands of

men have already come out in the provinces-5,000 at Leeds alone and the bulk of the men at Crewe—it does not affect some of the southern lines at all, and others only partially. Still the dislocation of traffic is already considerable, and large bodies of troops have been called up to London to protect the mails and trains if necessary. The condition of Liverpool remains most disturbed, and on Thursday four warships arrived in the Mersey to protect the shipping and for other emergencies. Mob violence still prevails in the poorer quarters, the gas workers have joined the strike, and the prospects of a food famine are more menacing than ever.