SOCIALIST POLICY

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27710, 14 July 1955, Page 13

SOCIALIST POLICY

Effect of H-Bomb On Aims (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, July 13. The former British Prime Minister, Mr Attlee, told representatives of 30 countries at the congress of the Socialist International in London today that Socialist principles were unchanged, but must be applied in the context of the hydrogen bomb. “Eminent scientists have recently confirmed that war is outdated,” Mr A*ttlee said. “A major war would destroy civilisation, if not the human race. “One great question is: ‘Would the Communists accept the toleration which is implied by coexistence?’ ” He said there had been much thawing of the cold war recently and this would continue “if we can get the Communists to accept the idea that people are entitled to live their own lives without interference.” The general secretary of the French Socialist Party, Mr Guy Mollet, discussed the recent change in the Russian attitude. “A number of facts support the view that there is indeed a detente. Is it a Russian change of will—or merely of tactics?” he asked. Mr Mollet said it was significant that the new Russian position coincided with the ratification of the Paris Agreements. "We in the French party have had long talks about this and finally decided that it does not really matter what is in the Russians’ minds—what matters is to seize the opportunity and not let fear or prudence deflect us from it” Socialist Aims Mr Morgan Phillips (Britain) told the conference of which he is chairman, that “socialism aims to transform the world we live in.” In his presidential address. Mr Phillips, who is general secretary of the British Labour Party, said: “Socialism is not exclusively concerned with wresting political power. It has something to say on almost every form of human activity.” They could not be “certain of a lasting or stable peace until a significant number of nations have social democratic governments or Socialist parties of powerful influence,” he added. Since the congress last met, Belgium. Denmark, Jamaica and Malta had been added to the countries—making 10 in all —which have social democratic governments.

In New Zealand, the Labour Party had gained “the largest number of votes without obtaining a majority of seats,” he added.