PRIME MINISTER'S ASSURANCE TO HOUSE OF COMMONS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14916, 2 March 1949, Page 3

PRIME MINISTER'S ASSURANCE TO HOUSE OF COMMONS

Conflicting Pronouncements On Britain's Economic Recovery

ALLOCATION FOR SECOND YEAR OF AID ALMOST CERTAIN

London, March 1. The Prime Minister, Mr Attlee, a’nswered several Opposition questions in Parliament today arising out of Mr Mayhew’s recent speech at Lake Success about Great Britain s recovery effort. , . „. .. A Conservative member spoke of recent conflicting officials’ pronouncements on British economic recovery and Britain’s need for economic assistance from the United States..

The Prime Minister gave an assurance that the Government view was represented by the latest statements from Sir Stafford Cripps. It was made after full consultation with himself and the Foreign Secretary. When pressed for action to stop Great Britain’s future from being jeopardised by irresponsible statements, Mr Attlee said that, as the matter had now been dealt with, further questions were not in the national interest, and he stressed the danger of statements being taken apart from their context. A Washington correspondent says the indications are that the British allocation for the second year or Marshall Aid would be approved without significant change by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The Committee met today behind closed doors to put the finishing

touches to the bill authorising the extension of the Marshall Plan for another year. Owing to the filibustering in the Senate against proposals to make filibustering imposssible, the Committee could not meet for more than two hours.

The Chairman, Senator Connolly said that with this limited time it might take two or three days for the Senate to study the bill. After the Committee’s report on the bill is made public, it has to be debated in the Senate. It is still uncertain, the correspondent says, when the Senate will be clear of the filibusters to allow a debate, arid it cannot be forgotten, he says, that the authorisation process has to be followed by actual appropriations and these votes have to be repeated in the House of Representatives.