Page:Cook (1927) The Nine Days.djvu/21

 proud of the determined stand of our President, who did not mince his words, but spoke straight and to the point. Some of the members of the General Council will never forget Herbert Smith!

It did seem terrible that we had to fight, not only the Government and the coalowners, but certain Labour leaders as well. However, Herbert Smith was not made of the stuff that could be intimidated. The more they attacked him the stronger he became, and whatever may be the consequences or the results of our struggle, I shall ever remember the stand made by Herbert Smith, which should lead every miner to revere him to the end of his days.

Whatever Herbert Smith may not be able to do, nobody can charge him with not being able to fight clean and straight for the men that he has so ably represented.

May 9th, 10th and 11th were days of numerous meetings. There were long discussions in the T.U.C. There were also numerous meetings between the T.U.C. Negotiating Committee and Sir Herbert Samuel.

On Monday evening, the 10th, proposals were drafted, accepted by the Negotiating Committee, and placed before the full Executive of the Miners' Federation. They were amended and sent back to the T.U.C., but rejected by them.

Tuesday, 11th, again several meetings. All these in our absence. Only once were we called over to see Sir Herbert Samuel, on Monday, 10th, when our President, myself and Mr. Richardson made our position quite clear. Nevertheless the T.U.C. Negotiating Committee continued in their feverish desire to lift the General Strike without securing protection for the miners. And, as has since been learnt, without even securing protection for their own members against victimisation.

On Tuesday morning the Miners' Executive met and reviewed the position in various Districts. With the knowledge that these negotiations were going on behind our backs, the Executive determined nevertheless that it would stand fast by its colours.

It is characteristic of the difficulties we were contending with, that, although I issued to the Press a statement embodying our viewpoint (I was obliged to do this to contradict a lying story circulated by a Press Agency) in the afternoon, and even the scab capitalist press all printed it, no mention appeared in the workers' own official, the British Worker!