Dr. Malan Attacks British Labour Party

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26745, 31 May 1952, Page 7

Dr. Malan Attacks British Labour Party

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 7 p.m.) CAPE TOWN, May 29. The Prime Minister (Dr. D. F. Malan) said to-night that Britain had committed an offence against South Africa which could not be lightly forgotten.

He was commenting on the unanimous decision of the British Labour Party’s National Executive to support the South African Labour Party in its opposition to the Malw Government’s action against trade union leaders under the Suppression of Communism Act.

Dr. Malan said that the British Labour Party’s decision would have repercussions, not only on relations between Britain and South Africa, but on general relations within the Commonwealth.

“Interference must necessarily be followed by an estrangement, to what extent no one can foresee, and if Mr Attlee thinks he will receive the approval of the English-speaking South Africans, he is greatly mistaken,” Dr. Malan said.

"By far the greater majority, they already have sufficient loyalty to their country to resist interference by his party. “By this action the British Labour Party has shown itself to be a disrupting factor within the Commonwealth. Its opponents have accused it of liquidating the British Empire. “It is once more engaged In disrupting the Commonwealth.”

Dr. Malan said the Commonwealth countries were acting together with the Western nations to combat the Communist danger and to that end they were spending millions of pounds. “Like ourselves, they are also taking strong measures to eradicate Communism within their own borders. Can any right-thinking person understand that any party which claims to be anti-Communist, let alone a responsible Opposition Party, can see their way clear to cause an estrangement by making unjustified and insulting attacks on a sister State, and that with the object of protecting prominent Communists?”