Page:Cook (1927) The Nine Days.djvu/26

 the Government, and not to harm the employing class. They did not understand the task—at least a great many of them did not—and there were others who were determined to sabotage the General Strike to justify their repeated declarations, "that it would not succeed."

First they declared the rank and file would not respond to a sympathetic strike. Then after the rank and file had responded they continued to try and prove that it would not succeed.

They are still trying to prove it, but while some leaders have declared "Never again," and others have tried to say—as the leader of the Labour Party did in "Answers"—that the strike is a useless weapon, those of us who saw the shattering effect it had on British capitalism and the stride forward in solidarity made by our own people realise that the General Strike did not fail.

Since May 12th we have been left to continue our struggle alone—but not alone, as the rank and file are still with us. They did not let us down. Our bus-men, car-men, rail-men, and dock-men, men from the desks—pens laid aside—printers and pressmen, engineers and electricity men form the rank and file. All joined together with one motto: "Solidarity for Ever—and Capitalism defied!"

As miners we thank them. For us they refused to bend; for us they struck our rights to defend. With such support our cause will not fail, for we all believe right will in the end prevail.

So ended the Nine Days of Labour's united struggle. We still continue, believing that the whole rank and file will help us all they can. We appeal for financial help wherever possible, and that our comrades will still refuse to handle coal so that we may yet secure victory for the miners' wives and children who will live to thank the rank and file of the Unions of Great Britain. We hope still that those leaders of the T.U.C. who feel that a mistake has been made will rally to our cause and help us to victory.