DANGER SIGNS CHURCHILL'S FAME

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 80, 4 April 1944, Page 5

DANGER SIGNS CHURCHILL'S FAME

"Cracking The Whip" On Votes Of Confidence u | N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 10 a.m. LONDON, April 3. In a leading article on last week's "remarkable spectacle of the British Government deliberately picking a quarrel with its own supporters and of the Prime Minister creating a political crisis in order to secure a vote of confidence that had never been in doubt," the Observer says that Mr. Churchill, heart, soul and body in the conduct of the war, has not been able to gather around him,as Mi". Lloyd George did in the last war, men who are capable either of closing the wartime gap between the executive and Parliament or proving themselves persons of "push and go in matters of administration. In Cromwellian Mood "The truth is that the Prime Minister is desperately busy and very badly advised," the Observer adds. "He came back at the beginning of the year from his rest and conversations at Marrakesh (Morocco) in a Cromwellian mood, persuaded that he must treat all honest differences of Opinion on policy as matters of confidence in his war leadership. He promptly stated this doctrine in the bluntest terms to the electors at Brighton. He restated it in reply to the demand for a debate on the Atlantic Charter. It was stated for him by Lord Beaverbrook in the House of Lords debate on land issues. He restated it himself over the air on March 28, and finally he cracked the whip. The falseness of the thesis on which the Prime Minister has been persuaded to act is evident. The one notable fact about the political situation, both in Parliament and the country, is that while there Is complete unity behind Mr. Churchill in relation to the war there are deep cleavages of opinion about the peace policy." " Take It Or Leave It" The Observer continues that the eventual outcome of this "take it or leave it" attitude, if it continues, can clearly be seen. If the intention is to bring young Tories to heel the result will be the reverse. The uneasiness of the Labour benches will not be lessened to say the least If honest opposition inside the Coalition is proscribed then opposition will grow up outside. This would be a strange result of all the talk about unity. For Mr. Churchill it would be a quite needless tragedy. After paying a tribute to Mr. Churchill, the article says it will be one of history's saddest stories if his fame should be even tarnished I by clashes which nobody desires.