FOREIGN POLICY WILL NOT WEAKEN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 184, 6 August 1945, Page 5

FOREIGN POLICY WILL NOT WEAKEN

BRITISH CONFIDENCE

Bevin Assured Of Support By United People

N.Z. Press Association-Copyright Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, Aug 5 Mr. Quintin Hogg, M.P. ( Con ' Oxford City), in an open letter to the Americans in the Daily Mail declared that although he was a' Conservative born and bred,*he was confident Britain's foreign policy would in nowise be weakened by the advent of the Labour Government Referring to the AmpHnnn attitude to the election retSt Mr Hogg said: "I make no complaint that you found the result surprising but it is rather more difficult to excuse the tendency of your newspapers to criticise us for choosing a Labour Government. "So long as the present administration tries, as I am sure it will to maintain the honour and dignitv of this country abroad and to protect its interests, Mr. Bevin will be able to count on not only the support of his considerable Parliamentary majority, but also that of a united people.

"Wall street financiers will be illadvised if they try to make you think that the stability and credit of Britain are not as strong as ever. We expect no nonsense from the new Government and should not stand it if we got it. British traditions are among the best in the world, and if this or any other Government were to attempt to undermine or interfere with them the Government not the traditions would be the sufferers." . . Referring to the singing of the Red Flag in the House of Commons, Mr. Hogg said it was difficult for those unacquainted with British manners and customs to understand that on the lips of British Labour members, the Red Flag was rather less revolutionary than the Eton boating song, and ,was sung for much the same reasons. He added that Labour members after singing went through the solemn ritual of electing a Conservative as Speaker. "So my timorous American friends take heart," Mr. Hogg concludes. "If there is any economic difficulty between Britain and America it is far more likely to be due to your tariff policy than to any economic weakness here. Whatever the British people think of one another, they mean to make the country happy, great and prosperous."