Pioneer

Political Notes. BY F. W. JOWETT, M.P. The two recent speeches of Mr. Asquith, in which he referred to the conquest of Alsace-Lor- raine as one of the chief war aims of the Allies, ha-s gnashed to the ground the hope of an early Peace. Germany's reply is a flat refusal to con- sider the question of restoring the provinces to France. There is therefore a deadlock eo far as the Governments are concerned, and if they are allowed to have their way the war must go on until one side or both sides can fight no longer. It is no more likely now than it has been at any time during the last three years that a decision can be reached in regard to the issues raised since the war began by the ordeal of battle. Colonel Murray, writing to the "Daily News" the other day pointed out, in regard to the Ger- man position on the Western front, that the German armies are firmly based on their Rhine front, and that in Northern France all the ap- proaches to the great German waterways down the valleys of the Scarpe, the Sambre. and the Meuse are firmly held. In the East, the Ger- mans have a continuous line of defence extend- ing more than 800 i-nileg from the Baltic to the Black Sea and they hold possession of that half of Roumania that is rich in corn and oil. # Of course, there is another side to the picture besides the one described by Colonel Murray. The German colonies are almost entirely in the possession of Great Britain and Japan. This facts discounts to a large extent the strength of Germany's position in Europe from the point of view of a. peace made by diplomats. But the greatest weakness of Germany and the Central Powers lies in their isolation, and in their econ- omic dependence on the rest of the world now mostly in league against them. Exhaustion is coming nearer to all of us, out it appears likely that Germany will feel the pinch before us. In- deed, it is practically certain, that if the British Government had refrained from futile military gambles and had organised, from the beginning1 of the war, the whole resources of Great Britain and the Colonies for an economic struggle, the Allies might, in course of time, -have had such pleasure as they could enjoy in contemplating the agonies of starving populations in Germany and Austria, without themselves having reached a state of acute famine. As it is, we of the Allied countries will feel the pinch ourselves if the war goes on much longer. an.T pi-oposa l to The opposition in Germany to any proposal to re-open the question of Alsace Lorraine has been intensified by the resolutions passed at the Con- ference of the Allies in Paris relating to prefer- ential trading Under the Paris resolutions Germany might be practically boycotted in re- gard to raw materials under the control of the Allies. What such a boycott would mean if Alsace-Lorraine were in French possession may be realised if it is remembered that in 1913 Ger- many's total production of iron ore amounted to 28 million tons, and that 21 millions of the total amount was produced in Lorraine. If Lorraine were French, therefore, and the policy of the Paris resolutions were acted upon Germany would not only have lost territory but she would also have lost an important ndustry, and with it would have gone the livelihood of a large number of her people. It is of interest to note., with regard to the question of Alsace Lorraine that the .French ma- jority Socialists do not claim unconditional re- storation. to France. In the statement on War Aims circulated at the Allies Socialist Conference recently this is made quite clear. The passage dealing with the question of A knee Lorraine reacU as follow For these reasons they (the French Social- ist) will ask Fi-anca-Fraiw democratic and Ire,France generous and sure of its to give its adhesion to a fresh reference to the populations of Alsace and Lorraine. At the foot of the treaty of peace will be the signa- tures of all the nations of the world. This treaty will be guaranteed by the Society of Nations that we ask France to entrust herself, so that it may be established by an honest system of voting that will have to be established, the reference which will fix and settle in Law for ever the destiny of the in- habitants of Alsace-Lorraine, and will de- finiteiy remove from Europe the problem which has so heavily weighed upon her. If there were no Paris resolutions with their policy of economic boycott to be feared the peo- ple of Germany might reasonably be asked to make this concession for the sake of a lasting peace, but whilst the threat of economic boycott is held over Germany it is useless to expect the German people to consider such a. suggestion. I do not wish to say, or imply, that the war should be continued over the question of Alsace- Lorraine in any case; for, in my opinion, the forcible annexations of past history cannot be permanently adjusted except by agreement, and as the result of a common eRort bv all nations to as the result of t coi?imo- dezl justly with e,&ch othe,,r. That the threatened boycott of the Central Power* is still the policy of the British Govern- ment is clearly indicated by-a statement issued by the Tariff Reform League in which the electors of East Islington are asked to support the Government candidate BECAUSE THE GOVERN- MENT IS PLEDGED TO CARRY OUT THE POLICY OF THE PARIS ECONOMIC CONFHRENCB. -FBuF--N-cis. A most interesting table is published in the Labour Gazette giving the comparison of prices for the chief articles of food on October 1st, 1917, in relation to the normal prices of July, 1914. In arriving at the general percent- age increase over all the articles of food enu- merated, account is taken of the proportionate expenditure on each in working-class families. In large towns the cost of food has risen 102 per cent. since July, 1914, and in small towns and villages the increase is 93 per cent. The Ministry of Labour explains, however, that in calculating the present cost of living in working class families account has also been taken of the changes of diet enforced by high prices upon the poorer section of the community. This means, of course, that prices have inore"ed far mors than the percentage figures show, feeeause it has been taken for granted that a large proportion of the working population are living on inferior or substituted articles of food. ? The Labour Gazette also gives an inter- esting comparison of the cost of living in a num- ber of different countries and British Colonies. The latest available figures for Paris show that the retail food prices there had only increased 47 per cent, in April last since July, 1914. In Canada the increase .is 56.6 per cent., and in Australia, 26.5. Vienna food prices have risen 202 per cent., Holland 116 per cent., and Den- mark 152 per cent. :11 Whilst the people of the working-class in this country have been forced to consume inferior food in order to maintain a bare existence and cannot possibly obtain a sufficient supply of some necessary articles of food the Food Controller is appealing to rich people to be kind enough to a bstain from over-eating. According to a state- ment in the Times" this" week the Food Con- troller is having some difficulty in regard to meals taken a lit carte at restaurants frequented by rich people. If, for instance," the state- ment runs, a .1an asks for OYSTERS, A RICH SOUP, A SOLE OR A LOBSTER, HALF A BIHD, SWEETS, A SAVOURY AND DESERT, WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE PEACHES AND HOT-HOUSE GRAPES, he could have it by paying for what he required, and HE WOULD NOT HAVE EXCEEDED THE CONTROLLER'S REGULA- TIONS. Last week the Primo Minister professed that the country could not afford to increase the flat rate (fti which British soldiers and sailors are paid because the country could not afford the expense. But the country can afford the ex- pense of borrowing money mainly from the wealthy members at an increased rate of inter- est. Much of the money supposed to have been borrowed has no real existence m fact, but is merely fabricated credit manipulated by banks —paper on .which bankers charge interest to the State. The Prime Minister refuses to pay sol- diers decently because he can force them to serve. He borrows money or credit at 5. per cent., as against the pre-war rate of 2f, because he dare not, or has no desire, to force the pos- sessors of health to release their hold on their possessions. This is the real situation.

Rhondda School Teachers' Victimisation. TRADES UNIONIST INTERVENTION PREVENTS A SCANDAL. At a meeting of the Rhondda Urban District Council held on Friday, October 12th, a very interesting case came up for discussion in the form of receiving a deputation urging upon the Council the necessity of re-considering the trans- ference of a, school teacher—Mr. Cove. The de- putation represented three .organisations— Miners, Railwaymen and School Teachers. Mr. Noah Ablett spoke on behalf of the miners, Mr. Mellor for the railwaymen, and Miss Ray, Mr. Howells and Mr. 8. Evans for the teachers. the charge of the Council was as follows: "With regai-d to the complaint against Mr. Cove of having attended to work other than school work during school hours, the committee came to the conclusion that it was desirable that Mr. Cove should be transferred to another school. The charge of teaching Scripture out of the" regular time had been withdrawn. The charge of the Council was then, at bottom, that he h3.(1 taught the children of the relation of wages to the high cost of living, and in doing so had used the list of salaries of the officials of the Council, comparing them with the salaries of the school teachers. Here is the hit." It may be added that Mr. Cove is a keen Socialist and had taken a prominent part in politics and Trade Unionism. He is also a, valiant fighter for justice for the discharged soldier and his de- pendents, and in fighting for adequate pensions for discharged soldiers, had cause, on many oc- casions, to bring himself into disrepute with the Council, which is by no means a friend of the discharged soldier. This is actually the cause of the Council's determination to persecute Mr. Cove. Thanks to the activity of trade unionists the decision of the Council was reversed, and a resolution to retain Mr. Cove's services carried by 13 votes to 12.

The Electric Theatre. If there is one trite truth of the playhouse that touches the spot every time, it is The play's tl-ic, thing," and it is because Merthyr audiences are appreciating this truth m a real manner that one is thankful to get a seat at the Electric on a first, attempt. Of course, I do not mean that the play would tell against want of comfort or bad screening every time; but then those are factors that one doeg not consider, be- cause they don't exist at the a, t Monday I was in a big city picture house, on Tuesday I was in the Electric, and item for item the Merthyr house was given a return of amuse- ment over 100 Per cent, higher than the other, and that because the management have solved the problem of the play. Take any of the Elec- tric programmes and you find them enjoyable from first to last, and particularly attractive in a, top-liner and a couple of new and enticing comedies every time. Look at -¡,he programme now s how- ing. First there is that beautiful and capti- vating Bessie Barriscale new story Home, as sweet » thing as ever delighted the hearts of any audience, anywhere, afc any time. Then there is an uproarious Triangle comedy Econ- omy," as full of quaint nonsense, clever bur- lesque and brilliance of effect, as we have come to expect from this house but, as if they could not give us too much, the management then top it with one of the best Billy West laughter makers "His Waiting Career," and follow it with the dramatic, last chapter of "The Purple Domino," with its unexpected finale. I am one of those who has followed this serial with close attention, and I hope that this clever couple of serial players are now at work on a sequel to this great story. And this is not exceptional; for we find the same thing as marked in both of next week's pro.grammes. Indeed, the Triangle that tops from Monday, The Moral Fabric," is unique. It is the story of a wife stealing Union of Souls," which hardens a husband and leads to a poetic revenge, as a reciprocal "soul mate." It is rich, but intensely human. Then there is "A Maiden's Trust," a. Triangle comedy intro- ducing Myrtle Lind and .Ford Stirling, in a tangled funny yarn with exciting episodes, in- cluding a motor which plays. leap-frog, and a maiden hanging on a wall. Then there is the 4Sooond instalment of PQturl of the Army." The second programme is headed by "Dross," a great dramatic production; a Billy Merson happy smile will be bringing reciprocal lhappiness spasm Billy the Truthful," and another Billy West, "His Married Life," a fun-full film that helps to finish a gorgeous spread of good things. PLAYGOHS.

Steelworkers Idle WAGES DEADLOCK AT DOWLAIS, Practically the whole of the employees  Me?rs. Gu&st, Keen, and Nettlefold' Iron ang Steel Works (about 1,500) at Dowlais are idle. The stoppage is the result of the expiration of the notice to cease work at the end of a month, unless the wages all round were raised. In consequence of the stoppage the mills  not working, and the blast furnaces are on 10 bbiit, the Ivor Works (fitting and smiths' shope, etc.) only being kept going, An arbitrator had arranged to meet the woj" men's representatives in London on Wedneso respecting the wages demand but these repre- sentatives did not go. The advance in wag asked for is stated to be roughly an average 0^ 1, ,ed If or i8 -5tated? o, be roughly an averagl of The stoppage necessitated 500 more oil ceasing work later in the day. „ i A meeting of the workmen was held on "? ?1 nesday night, and it was adjourned without Jl) decision having been come to pending the arnv of Mr. Simpson Mandrea, of the Committee Of Production.

Theatre Royal. j When I wrote on "Damaged Goods  Socialism," on the occasion of the visit ?,. Brieux's play here, I said that as a piece of dramatic workmanship that much extolled p?<_ was not of the literary standard of Shaw o* Ibsen. I did not then know that we should 50 soon b» witnessing the latter's Ghosts ?ont the M.me stalls, or I should have said more 0n this subject. As it is I believe that the visit & Ghosts this week has proved all that I ther said. The greater directness of Brieux  during the period of its booming, be nior« str'kingly propagandist than Ibsen, but t"" dramatic nature of the Scandinavian? a.pp? will prod uce, I should say has produced, a, effect that will long outlive the influence of BIieux. That last splendid scene in Ghost« is calculated, as presented by this clever 1?.i? company, to preach a moral of personal hy £ ?'eIij in, sexual matters that will act as a v?'y?? deterrent to any sensitive individual.' throughout there are razor thrusts at the  crocy of our everyday life that are splend? provocative—and that though the edition ?  not the best I have i?ad. Of course, a?  h. not th best have lad Of oourse, a.'3 m tJ}- of these impressions depends upon the pres?n? tion as upon Ibsen's words, and I want to 'Say that I do not think that the dramatic fervor of this unique play could have been placed 1jB better hands than those of Miss Nina Bl^K, Adams and Mr. Edward Rawlinson. Mr- Sutherland gave life to the refreshingly typ?j Ibsen character of Pastor Manders. In the light of the excellence of work there should be big houses next week ?" the clever little band of players are to dra,m?, our own great book The Maid of Cefn Y" ^VJe As a p? ec? of Welsh dramatic literature 1\re Maid ?t,tnd alone amongst our represent' literature, and I am told that it has dramat'? singularly powerfuHv. As a plav cf our   tremen do? aue and people its appeal shonld be tremen^ r and I am hoping that it will but serve as a  for the resurrection of more or our own natIo plays. If any race should be capable of P? ducmg dramas it should be the fervent ?Loa iiei'y Cymru. PLAYGOER.

Good Luck to Mr. Rea When Mr. R. T. Rea came to the The? Royal some e?ven months ago, those of us W/" have a wann place in our hearts for the pop11 little theatre hoped that the Miji,ary Se,ie-e Acts would now cease to be operative so far ?. managers were concerned—for its heads n* ø. been com bed-out faster than was good for town so (lepeiidc-nt upon its theatre aS j Merthyr pn the Royal. In those days we d not know Mr. Rea, and our concern was for Otit civic enjoyment rather than for himself; e? then we have all come to know him as such  good fellow, and Imch a goo? manager, that these last few months have infused a hope tb*t his connection with the Theatre would not broken for sentimental reasons as well as fl'oI,V the more selfish ones with which we ?rept? bl$ appearance. However, hopes are shaDow thi? beside such a concrete reaJity as military sei-v? an d now we know definitely that Mr. Rea I?s to 'om up on the 22nd, we can not only say thi^ that we should have otherwise left unsaid fear of throwing the whole of his headgear.? the scrap-heap from unaccountable contract of the hatbands, but we have also had an oPP? tunity of showing in tangible form the reality Of OUr friendship. So, Monday evening, at a b?Ppy little function, from which the morrow was r solutely excluded so far as was passible, ? gathered to give hint a handsome gold watch ? a purse of treasury notes, that had been sU* scribed by the members of his own loyal  and outside subscribers who were only pleased to show their appreciation of Mr. wt as man and manager by adding their mit<? to the muckle that these gifts represented. Solpe of the things that were said during that PreStjs tation must have decided Mr. Rea to iiiarki, return to the Royal—and may it be an e;Iy one—by an application for an increase of 'all of not less than a hundred per cent. And r sonally I do not think that one word that w?-  uttered was a n?tterin.!? overstatement of ? deserts. As a manager, Mr. Rea has had to  our theatre during a period when time, Ji and experience in his profession were exti'e? ? minor difficulties. Transit, absence of male le,ol ig and a. thousand and one other dimculties ??? operated against bookings of an attractive ture, yet a recollection of the bills that  starred his period of management has proved yond cavil his right to the management of ,Iiy the&tre anywhere; whilst a peep mto his booY, ing8 ahead have surprised me with his a-sih?? an angler in well-played waters. The seveut ? years that Mr. Rea has spent with the P??gJ proprietorship of the Royal have certainly Pr%fgHd his right to his position. I know men ? ,SO grey in the profession who have neither big knowledge or' skill, or, most important Of his personality. Anyway, Mr. Rea is posit1 returning to us, and I personally do not ? ,p): that the gap that separates then from no? l, 5o great as many suspect. I am confident tllats?i5 happy smile will be bringing reciproca,! ha?pP??e? .ngi-ug recip,,[?oc.al IIRPPI.,OJe$J$ into our faces by the next spring houses;$ until then here's to R. T. Rea, &" short ? and a merry one, and a welcome return to bi# cosy little nook in Merthyr. PLAYGC"^

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