EXPLOITATION OF PROBLEMS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25301, 29 September 1947, Page 7

EXPLOITATION OF PROBLEMS

MR ATTLEE ACCUSES MR CHURCHILL

“DIFFICULTIES NOT DUE TO GOVERNMENT” (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, September 27. The Prime Minister (Mr Attlee), in a speech at a Labour rally at Leicester, accused Mr Winston Churchill of exploiting the Government's difficulties. •‘lt is very different from the wartime Churchill who exhorted the Seople to bear bravely their inevitable ardships, and who is now apparently exhorting them to whine and blame, ’ said Mr Attlee. “He Knows perfectly well that our difficulties are not due to the Labour Government. His tactics are rather old-fashioned. He does not take account of the new political intelligence in Britain.” Mr Attlee said his opponents had no policy to set against Labour. The Government had gone ahead with nationalisation to remedy defects in essential industries on which the economic future of Britain depended. Mr Attlee said the Opposition’s constant barrage against the Government did not affect the Government’s position, but people abroad did not always understand the freedom of criticism rightly allowed in Britain. Some did not realise the motive of attacks on the Government. The Opposition and speakers created the wrong impression abroad that was a grey and miserable place, whereas visitors who came to see for themselves told him that they found the people vigorous and cheerful. Mr Attlee said that apart from the Government’s own press, “our own great ‘Daily Herald’,” and apart from some newspapers which took a reasonable, balanced view, the great body of

the British press was against the Labour movement. Mr Attlee said the Government was not going to adopt wholesale regimentatioa, and did not believe ip it, but unless the Government was to use regimentation, there must be some incentive other than the profit motive. He said he could not see why the motive ; of service to the community should not I operate in peace as in war. Hiere was no easy way out of Britain’s difficulties, and the problems came down to the attitude of the individual citizen.