Page:Engines and men- the history of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen. A survey of organisation of railways and railway locomotive men (IA enginesmenhistor00rayniala).pdf/194

 Lloyd George played the same role as in 1907, repeating his "Confiscation Boards," as Mr. Fox called them, only more so. Mr. Asquith tried solemn warnings and threats, and Mr. Churchill tried intimidation by armed troops. Brutal conduct resulted, and at Llanelly two men were shot dead. About the declaration of the strike there was absolute unanimity between the four Executives of the A.S.R.S., A.S.L.E. & F., U.P.S.S., and the G.R.W.U. They held a joint meeting in Liverpool, where Mr. Bromley and Mr. Thomas had been previously watching the interests of railwaymen in a very delicate situation. The joint meeting sent representatives to meet Mr. Sydney Buxton, President of the Board of Trade, in Conference, and following that Conference the jointly-signed telegram was issued to call the strike at all stations. Mr. Churchill's mind at once turned to troops, and they were turned into towns in spite of the desire of the local authorities not to have them.

The managers were not required by the Government to discuss matters with the men. They preferred, apparently, to rely upon force, upon the parade of bullets and bayonets. A strike? It couldn't be! They announced that two-thirds of the men had refused to strike, and that the companies had large numbers of applications for work in their service. They announced, in fact, all the usual nonsense which is announced during a great strike, that the men were beaten and going back to work, and that an excellent service was being maintained. The Societies had sent a deputation to Mr. Lloyd George on August 1st, but it was received by Mr. McKenna. Nothing resulted, and Mr. Buxton made no further advance, and on August 17th the men were out, and the service disorganised and down at vanishing point. Friday morning, August 17th, saw the whole railway system in a state of chaos, and in a few hours 150 messages of "All men out" were received.

On the eve of the strike, Mr. Asquith met the union leaders, and used language like this:-

"We cannot allow the commerce of the country to be interfered with in the way it would be by a national dispute, and we want