LABOUR'S COURSE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 6, 6 July 1935, Page 21

LABOUR'S COURSE

THE LINE IN BRITAIN

SOCIALISM OR POPLARISM?

ATTACK AND -REPLY.

It is 'freely prophesied that a Gen- n , eral Election may take place this autumn, but it cannot be delayed longer than the autumn of next year, says "Public Opinion." It is not surprising, therefore, that the publishers are issuing books on the Labour policy, not only of the present Government, but volumes also that deal with that of the official Labour Opposition. In "Towards a National Policy," Lord Elton, Professor Zimmern, and others give the case for the National Govern- p( ment from the National Labour point tg of view, and in the course of a striking preface, Mr.; Ramsay Mac Donald, it tr Will be seen, has definite views, for he re writes:— , ' • • h; "Socialism is a word which is used in b , several ways. To the student of social history it is the stage in industrial or- * ganisation which follows capitalism, and which, so soon as Capitalism has w solved the problem of production, be- fr gins to grow up within Capitalism itself as the solution of the next his- th torical problem—distribution. That is m what is happening today, and it is from p( that historical task of Socialism that p . the thoughts of/Our people are now be- a ing diverted by the propaganda and 0 , outlook of the present Labour Party SL which retains sound, general phrases ni for its defence, but adopts Poplarism a£ for its votes. ... to "In 1924, without a solitary protest re from the party, I wrote in a preface to a new edition of 'Socialism: Critical n and Constructive:— . "'' '"It cannot be over-emphasised that p, public doles, Poplarism ... not only di are not Socialism, but may mislead the spirit and policy of the Socialist Movement.' ■ . .... hi "Perhaps those who write so glibly ir about the 'causes', of the 1931 division ir might acquaint themselves with the ft views of British Socialism, and those sl who follow the 'new- intelligentsia w might do well to trace out the sources Ci of their proposals,, which certainly ■will not be found in British Socialism. c , DICTATORSHIP AND DOLES. £ "The Labour Party has ceased to 0] work at the problem of how Socialism v is to come and what forms of social G control must be devised to embody its v social and individual ends, and has w become' a party which divides politics n , on Poor Law issues. Under pressure b , of partisan necessity its leaders forfeited the proud position of the uri- g tish Socialist movement as the world- b; recognised pioneer in the practical ap- e< plication of Socialist doctrines and a have led it on to a ground which is a a sort of no-man's land between Dicta- st torship and Poor Law doles. . f. Referring to Press and party warfare, f< Mr. Mac Donald writes:-"The most _ ordinary event must be 'sensational, ft 'astounding,' 'mysterious,' 'a monstrous £ scandal,' and what not. Rumour is » made to rank with fact. „. "This is one of the gravest dangers J which public opinion and democratic judgment have now to face in domestic affairs, but, when international matters are dealt with in the same way, ■ the danger to world peace is of the g , gravest kind." s ' '~, 'ti Major C. A. Attlee, M.P, is the editor aj of a series of books which will ex- o: plain Labour policy. He is the .author „ of the first, "The Will and the Way d to Socialism," and it is interesting to G note that he specially emphasises the value of the alliance of the co-opera-tive movement. ■ '■. "It is the function of the consumer a; to say what shall be produced," says w Major Attlee. "It is for those engaged n in production to say how commodities tc shall be produced and services r. rendered. -■ ■<j THE ONE ORGANISATION. tl "The only effective organisation of tl the consumers is the co-operative move- c - ment. Outside this the method of trial v and error obtains. The producer endeavours to ascertain what the con- p sumers want, or expends much money t and energy in trying to Persuade A them that the commodities which he t< produces are what they desire. Over 1; a wide and growing area the consumer o has no choice, .because private interests r have created a monopoly. ' " "The need for the expression of the n consumer's wishes increases with the p variety of alternatives. There is no n room for selection in undifferentiated a products, such as electric power or t water, and but little m staple foods, « but when one reaches clothing, housing, a and the wide range of beyond necessi- E tids it is essential to freedom that the choice of the consumer should operate, r Thus a proper organisation of the consumers and adequate provision for » ascertaining their desires is part of the Socialist plan. The co-operative organisations supply the foundation of « th Major Attlee tries to reassure some of those experts who may dread the subservience of the individual in national schemes. He states:— "There is widespread anxiety amongst those belonging to the managerial and technical grades of worker tha socialisation and workers' control will mean a constant interference with their legitimate sphere. They fear that they will be constantly under the surveillance of committees and will be subectedHo petty restrictions which will prevent them from performing their functions.^ nk that this fear j s justified 'There is among the workers of this' country a fairly general recognition of the proper sphere of authority and an appreciation of the need for auowtng those in responsible positions freedom and initiative. I think that this view would be borne out by the heads of industrial departments of local authorities who have experienced Labour in power. "SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS." "The technician today is far 'more hampered by the short-sighted view of financial interests. In socialised industry all alike will be animated by a common motive-the public interest. The technician will know that his inventions and schemes of rationalisation will inure to the benefit of all, instead of bringing hardship and rum to their collaborators in the productive Pr" There are only two ways of solving that problem," writes the Rt. Hon. Arthur Henderson. M.P., in "Labours Way to Paece," in the same scries. "One is to revert to the traditional conception of each nation being sole fudge of its rights, and therefore, solely responsible for their defence . "The other way is to make a reality of the method of pooled defence by putting the whole power of the British Empire behind the League in exchange for other countries doing the same. This new method means that we have only one frontier-the Covenant, which guarantees us, on the basis of reciprocity that if our territory be invaded, or if third-party judgment on our rights be flouted, we shall have the world on our side against the aggressor. "That is a .limited and manageable commitment. On this basis it will become possible drastically to reduce, limit, control, and ultimately internationalise armaments. On these lines i the more the nations organise their col-

lei:tive national defence, the safer we shall all become, and the more remote will be the danger of war. '(■The new method involves the risk of trusting at least some other nations (so does an alliance) and of third-party judgment on our rights. But it affords a reasonable chance of getting rid of wairi altogether. ' It is the method to whijeh we are pledged by treaty obligations that it cost ten million dead and million wounded to bring into iexistence. We owe it to the dead, as viell as to the living, to put our frontier in the Covenant and our national defence behind our frontier."