TOM RICHARDS
[Speech of the Secretary of the Miners' Federation at the Great Mass Meeting held in the Rink, Cardiff, on October 2, 1914.]
My Lord Mayor, Mr. Asquith, and Gentlemen:— On rising to second the resolution, I would like to say that we all understand what we are committing ourselves to in that resolution—that we all completely and absolutely and entirely accept the vindication that we have realized all along has been given by our statesmen and by the first statesman of the realm to-night on the policy of this country. We fully realize that—but we do more. We said in the resolution that we were going to provide them with everything that is necessary to prosecute the war to a victorious conclusion—[cheers]—and thus secure the lasting peace of Europe. [Cheers.]
The men of the Miners' Federation are already in their thousands helping to do it, and there are thousands here to-night who are going to help. ["We will."] That brings me to say why I am called upon to second the resolution. I am connected with that great army of brave men who do so much to provide the comfortable homes and to provide the industries of this country with a necessary commodity, and who brave as great dangers every day of their lives as soldiers do on the battlefield, and who are killed by the hundreds and wounded by their thousands every year in this country in producing that commodity. Why, it isn't much change when we ask the South Wales collier to go on the battlefield. ["Hear, hear."]
Many of your working places are dark and dismal, aye, and as dangerous as the trenches at the front. [Hear, hear.] They talk about the Jack Johnsons of the Germans; what about the bombs of Senghenydd? ["Hear, hear," and cheers.] They are not to be compared with them—they swoop 400 of them at a time into eternity.
The effect of the resolution we have moved to-night must be seen in the recruiting offices. All honour to the 30,000 or 40,000 Welshmen who have already, since the crisis arose,
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