The Prime Minister's speech on Monday should be read in
conjunction with certain things said by Lord Birkenhead and Mr. Churchill. Lord Birkenhead declared in the House of Lords that the very fact that both owners and miners had been at fault " should impose on the Govern- ment the responsibility of knocking their heads together in the national interest." At Wanstead on Tuesday, Mr. Churchill said : " The Government are ready to use their good offices to bring together both parties. We have said that and we still stand by that. . . . We must discuss the dispute in a temperate manner and be ready, if possible, to ask for a settlement that will leave the least possible bitterness behind." On the same day at Loughton Mr. Churchill said rather less than was con- tained in the Wanstead speech. Nevertheless he declared " It is always open to anybody to put forward proposals to the Government, and any proposal that reaches us will be considered with earnestness. For the presen,- the situation is that we have nothing to say."
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