“NEW WINE IS NEEDED”

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25303, 1 October 1947, Page 7

“NEW WINE IS NEEDED”

COMMENT BY “THE TIMES ”

ADDITIONAL CHANGES AWAITED (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, September 30. “The Times,” in a leading article commenting on the Cabinet changes, says: “A large part of the Government’s lack of competence and decision in the testing months since February has been attributable to defects and conflicts in the division of responsibilities among Ministers. The sheer inability of the Cabinet to make up its mind in time as the emergency mounted has made steadily more evident the need which Mr Attlee has now recognised. “Mr Attlee, however, announces the Government changes, like his policy, by instalments, and the main list of transfers and new appointments is still to come. New wine is needed, not only new bottles. “The test of both the latest changes and the others still to be announced I will be what they imply in terms of policy. If they merely register a series of compromises on the mam issues of contention inside the Cabinet —on steel, coal, financial policy, and the armed forces —matters will be made worse, not better. If, on the other hand, they reflect a frank, if painful, agreement on the courses of policy to be pursued, this week may mark the turn of the tide.”

Infantile Paralyses in Britain.—The infantile paralysis epidemic in Britain , appears to be on the wane. During the : last fortnight notifications in the Lon- : don districts have fallen considerably. During the week ending on September 20, the last for which complete figures are available, 571 new cases were reported in England and Wales.—Lon-, don, September 29. ’ ;