System Of Militant Socialism

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 290, 7 December 1945, Page 5

System Of Militant Socialism

"Why should the raise this system of militant Socialism and divide us with what must involve increasing bitterness ?" demanded Mr. Churchill. "I profoundly believe that the attempt to turn Great Britain into a Socialist State will as it develops produce widespread political strife, misery and ruin. If this attempt at nationalisation of production and distribution be extended, then this island will not be able to upport three-quarters of the population at present inhabiting it." "This country," he continued, "is the least fitted of all large communities to withstand these convulsions. There has never been a Government which set-, out to revive prosperity on such a confidencekilling and impulse-sapping theory as this. The Government's insistence on retaining wartime controls, which, even in the heat of war, were only renewed from year to year, showed that it was imbued with the spirit of Fascism." Explaining how the Opposition had refrained from, conflict ever since Parliament first met four months before, Mr. Churehill said he had gone out of his way to mitigate the shock to Britain's credit abroad at the Government's announcement of the nationalisation of the Bank of England. The Opposition had also done its best to make easy for national unity the course of foreign policy, but the Government's insistence in keeping on extraordinary controls for five years was too much. "Why cannot the Government," he. asked, "lay aside all impediments and concentrate on its splendid, though formidable, task? Had I obtained a substantial majority my first thought would have been to seek the co-operation of the minority and gather together the strongest possible measure of agreement."

Mr. Churchill said that every effort must be made by capitalist employers and every form of private enterprise to do the best possible for the country in the conditions prevailing. They must not be deflected by hostilities shown toward them by the Socialist Ministers. Turning ta demobilisation, Mr. Churchill said tthat the 9000 being demobilised daily in Britain contrasted poorly with the United States rate of 50,000 daily. He warned that the speed of demobilisation would have a vital bearing on Britain's position in the world's markets. Dealing with housing, Mr. Churchill strongly attacked the Minister of Health, Mr. Aneurin Bevan, for discouraging building societies. He declared that Mr. Bevan was shadow boxing against his pet bugbear—racketeers, profiteers and monopolists. "I say to-day that unless Mr. Bevan changes his policy and methods without the slightest delay, he will be as great a curse to the country in time of peace as he was a squalid nuisance in the time of war." There were loud cheers and counter-cries, in which Mr. Bevan's laughter rang out above the din. /Turning to the Board of Trade, Mr. Churchill said that its desire for the regulation of everything was at present strangling the revival of the country. Mr. Churchill criticised the continuation of wartime taxation and expenditure. He called for economy, but said: "There was one economy recently effected with which we might well have dispensed, and that was the sale of Hitler's bust to a lot of malignant crackpots." The Opposition Leader said that the American loan, at best, would only provide two years in which to put their house in order, after which it wculd unfortunately be dependent on the kindness which may or may not be forthcoming from a foreign Power. Mr. Churchill concluded by appealing for! a vote of censure "to drive home the hard truths of this time upon a powerful and wellmeaning but misguided and inadequate Government."