REPLY TO BEVIN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 84, 10 April 1945, Page 5

REPLY TO BEVIN

Socialists And Their Pre-War Attitude To Rearmament BRACKEN UPHOLDS CHURCHILL Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, April 9. Mr. Brendan Bracken, Minister of Information, in a speech in reply to Mr. Ernest Bevin, who denied that Labour's decision to fight the election independently was an irresponsible step, said the Socialists before the war conducted a campaign against Britain's rearmament and, therefore, the Conservatives, whom Mr. Bevin accused of not warning the country that it was headed for war had erred in good company.

Regarding Mr. Bevin's accusation that the coalition was a one-man Government, Mr. Bracken said that Mr. Churchill had often praised the work of colleagues like Mr. Attlee and Mr, Herbert Morrison and particularly Mr. Bevin. Mr. Churchill s one-man work was done long before he became Prime Minister. It was began shortly after-Hitler came to power. Mr. Churchill frequently warned his countrymen of their mortal danger from German rearmament and, if he had been listened;to, Britain mighty have been saved from much misery and destruction. „ . The Trade Unions, as well as some capitalists, had restrictionist practices, which, favoured monopolies, but, when the Socialists suggested that Britain should set up the biggest of all monopolies—Government .direction of industry, transport-. banks, fuel and power—neither the Conservatives, nor millions of electors without party affiliations would follow them. Britain would never accept the sort of totalitarian State which the Socialists desired.