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British general strike called off

LONDON, May 12, 1926 (UP) -- The British general strike, which has held this nation in its grip eight and a half days, was called off today.

But the coal miners, in sympathy of whose strike the general walkout was called, will remain away from work. Negotiations to end the coal strike will start immediately.

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Withdrawal of the general strike order came today after a meeting of Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin with Sir Herbert Samuel, chairman of the Royal Coal Commission and Arthur Pugh, president of the Trades Union Congress. These achieved the informal agreement that ended the strike.

Pugh told Baldwin that the strike will end today; but the momentum of the stoppage is so great that several days will be required to effect complete resumption of work.

A.J. Cook, secretary of the Miners' Federation, told the United Press, "There is no chance in the situation as far as we are concerned. There will be no resumption of work until a delegate conference has been called."

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Cook immediately summoned miners' delegates from all parts of the country to meet in London Friday to decide whether the coal strike shall continue beyond that day.

Baldwin announced in the House of Commons at 3:20 p.m. that negotiations to settle the dispute in the coal industry would be resumed immediately. The members punctuated the speech with cheers. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of York again were in the gallery. Philip Snowden and Ramsay MacDonald, Laborites, and Sir John Simon, Liberal leader, did not cheer Baldwin with any great enthusiasm. They said the victory was one of common sense for the whole people.

After the announcement that the general strike was ended, the text of the letters between Pugh and Sir Herbert were given out. This exchange led to the meeting which ended the strike. Sir Herbert emphasized in his letter to Pugh that he was not authorized to negotiate for the government accept the settlement.

Shortly before the end of the strike was announced, David Lloyd George issued a statement to the press, pleading for a peace without victory. Victory for the unions, he said, would bring the danger of frequent general strikes, which eventually would make government impossible. Complete victory for the government would smash trades, unionism, bringing a repetition of "the selfish, cruel capitalism of the early industrial age."

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The scene as the House of Commons convened this afternoon was dramatic. Baldwin was pale and fatigued. His usually strong voice scarcely was audible. MacDonald asked Baldwin for a statement. The House already knew of the peace and cheered the premier.

MacDonald asked Baldwin if he had decided upon a time for surveying the situation and making a statement.

Baldwin replied a full statement was necessary as early as possible but that it was not possible to make such a statement today. MacDonald again asked the Commons be kept in closest touch with developments.

It was unofficially stated the government has agreed to obtain withdrawal of the lockout notices at the mines. The announcement of termination of the then existing national wage agreement precipitated the miners' strike, which in turn brought about the general walkout.

With the notices withdrawn and the miners again being paid on the old wage scale, peaceful negotiations for a permanent settlement may solve the coal situation with some measure of satisfaction to all.

"The miners," Cook told the United Press, "discussed their position after a deputation from the Trades Union Council visited them this morning. We decided to reaffirm our previous position and the following telegram was sent to all districts:

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"Miners must not resume work pending the decision of the national conference convened for Friday next in Kingsway Hall, London, at 10 a.m. Please send delegates."

Cook refused to say whether the miners would accept the conditions of peace laid down during preliminary conversations between Pugh and Samuel.

"It is for the men to decide," he said.

"The position of the executives remains what it was, which means we want no changes for the worse in the miners' status."

He said the miners' executive had not even any official knowledge of Samuel's agreement with Pugh.

A large crowd watched the arrival of the negotiators, who emerged from the dumpy house with the news of peace.

In permitting the strike leaders to come to Downing Street, Premier Baldwin receded from his position assumed at the beginning of the general strike when he announced that cancellation of the strike order would be prerequisite to resumption of peace negotiations.

The situation now apparently reverts to a week ago Saturday when negotiations to find a basis for the coal industry dispute were in progress after the miners had left the pits.

The British Broadcasting Co., at 1:20 p.m. today broadcast the following at the request of the general council of the Trades Union Congress:

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"In order to resume negotiations the general council of the Trades Union Congress had decided to terminate the general strike today."

The government issued the usual noon communiqu

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