The leaders, therefore, with a most amusing parade of sagacity,
informed the meeting that evidently Mr. Shortt wanted the police to strike in order to shatter them, and that the last thing they would advise the police to do would be to let the Home Secretary have his way. The argument recalls to our memory a picture of many years ago in which a small and fussy gendarme tries to save his dignity. He has ordered a great hulking labourer to "move on." The labourer has refused. Then the following duologue occurs: " What ! You won't move ? " " No." " Then stay where you are !" The rather pitiful attempt at saving face in Hyde Park may have satisfied the authors of it. But; the plain meaning to the ordinary man, as well as to the rank-and-file of the police, is that the Police Union as such is collapsing, if it has not already collapsed.
