CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23360, 20 June 1941, Page 8

CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN

PEOPLE’S MAIN » CONCERN

“WINNING THE WAR” \

Conditions,in Britain at the present time were such that people gave little thought to post-war problems, not because they were not interested, but because they \yere too busy with the majn job in hand—that of winning the war,<-said Mr William Turner, joint general manager of Reuters, Ltd., London, when he arrived in Auckland and was asked whether he thought there would be mass emigration to the colonies after the war. “Few people in Britain to-day speak of what is going to happen in the immediate post-war years," Mr Turner said, “That is so because few people can afford to divert their mind from the daily thoughts and involvements of the war. Such thoughts occur only where there is a little leisure, and there is no leisure in England. That does not mean there is not a strong feeling that conditions shall never again, be what they iyere before the war—slums and certain inequalities which have persisted in England later than they have in the dominions and America.

“I do not think there is any doubt those things will go, and that things generally in Britain will be different, for there is now a greater mingling of the classes than previously.” People in Britain, Mr Turner added, accepted the news censorship as a necessary measure. They knew the situation was one of extreme emergency, they trusted their leaders, and accepted the war regulations in what might be called an obedient and trusting spirit. Summing up his impressions of his Australian visit, Mr Turner remarked: “Australia is making a wonderful war effort, but one cannot help noticing how great a part politics still play in the Commonwealth, in spite of the world crisis." He had been much impressed with the high standards of living and self-respect there, but could not escape the thought that many matters abandoned by the people of Britain since the outbreak of war , were still a big concern in Australia. The Australian political machine seemed to be working at much greater pressure than in Britain, Mr Turner said. In Australia everyone appeared to be leading a normal existence. That was all to the good, and an example of the Empire’s reserves of strength but it rather pleasantly surprised the visitor. In Britain the closer menace of the war did not allow the people to forget its dangers; the old routine pleasures, and agreeable diversions had gone. Questioned about South Africa, Mr Turner said the war effort there was amazing, considering the difficult political and racial situations. In that respect Field-Marshal Smuts, the Prime Minister, had a problem without parallel in the rest of the Empire. There were very large sections of Afrikanders who were strongly and actively anti-British in sentiment, but there was a majority of the country which was “all out” for a British victory, “Some of the happenings in South Africa since the war started would have produced a near-revolution in any other country," Mr Turner said, “but Smuts has wisely refused to make martyrs. The result is that the antiBritish elements are quarrelling among themselves, and Smuts’s position becomes stronger every day.”