ROWDY MEETING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 79, 13 January 1949, Page 4

ROWDY MEETING

Mr Attlee Interrupted

FIRST SPEECH IN PROSPECTIVE CONSTITUENCY

(N.Z.P. A.—Copyright) LONDON, Jan. 12. The Prime Minister (Mr Att- - lee) faced a rowdy meeting and l many interjections at West Walthamstow when he made his first public speech as a prospective Labour Party candidate for the West Walthamstow Division in the House of Commons. Mr Attlee at present represents Limehouse, an electorate which will disappear under the redistribution of seats. During' an argument between big groups at the back of the hall, one man had his face cut, and the police were caller in to restore order. At times, Mrs Elizabeth Manning, Labour member of the House for Epping, who followed Mr Attlee, was inaudible as interjectors called, “You’re a Jewish collaborator,’’ and “Down with the Communists.” Mr Attlee, in his address, said: “We have had a great experiment in democratic Socialism. The vast majority of people in this country are freer than they were before.” When he said that Britain was not going back to her position in the nineteenth century, several voices shouted: “Not while you are there.” Referring to international co-opera-tion, Mr Attlee said: “While we want co-operation, we are met with abuse and attacks all the time from Communist parties everywhere.”

Britain’s Record Compared

Comparing the records of Britain’s Labour Government with the Government of Russia, which he said denounced Britain as an imperialist *

country; Mr Attlee said: “There is no right of self-determination in Russia.” He added that the countries behind the Iron Curtain longed to come into the Marshall Plan, but the Communist parties* had fomented strife and had done everything they could to prevent Marshall’ aid from succeeding. They did not care what happened to the workers and were concerned only with spreading their own ideology. Sustained interruptions, largely about Palestine, continued and the chairman of the meeting said: “If you dbn’t keep quiet, I shall have to ask you to go, and if you don’t go, we shall have to put you out.’’ Mr Attlee continued: “Those of us who have spent so long fighting for freedom do not regard the Communist Party as on the Left. In many things they are on the extreme Right, and are far more reactionary than the Conservatives.”

When another interjector called, “How should we get on without Marshall aid?” Mr Attlee replied: “There was American aid after the 1918 war; why should we not have American aid to-day ? It is extremely wise and generous of the Americans, because they see, as we have seen for many years, that no nation can make itself happy while the rest of the world is miserable.”

When the meeting ended, most of the audience sang the National Anthem, but a small section followed immediately with the “Red Flag.”