RIVAL POLICIES

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 105, 30 October 1935, Page 11

RIVAL POLICIES

BRITISH ELECTIONS

LABOUR AND WAR DANGER

SPEECH BY LEADER

tßritlsh Official Wireless.)

(Received October 30, 11.20 a.m.)

RUGBY, October 29.

Prominent members of all political parties made electioneering speeches yesterday.

The Labour Leader (Major Attlee) delivered the first of the Labour Party's election broadcasts, in the course of which he said that the two real issues of the election were firstly, how could security from the menace of war be given, and secondly, how could they ensure to all citizens security for their means of livelihood. Proceeding, he said: "We believe that another world war will jnean the end of civilisation. Modern weapons are so dangerous that they cannot be left in the hands of national Governments. We believe that the world must disarm and join in a system of collective security." The danger of war, he proceeded, sprang largely from the breakdown of the economic system, and there must be economic co-operation if the peoples of the world were to benefit by the discoveries of science. If people were to- be made secure the collective peace system must be made effective and must be used only as establishing conditions for building up a new world. NEED FOR EFFICIENT FORCES. Criticising the Government's demand for more armaments, he said that Labour's position was quite clear. While working for all-round disarmament, it was ready to maintain efficient forces needed for the country to take its proper share in the system of collective security. He protested that the Government had never given an estimate of what was required in regard to re-armament. All its proposals were based on obsolete ideas of national defence. Turning to domestic affairs, he demanded that institutions must be adapted to the new world in which we were living. The machinery of commerce and industry was so complicated that it could not be left to private industry and a mere scramble for profits. The banks should be owned by the State and the machinery of credit and finance operated in the interests of the nation. To reorganise industries and agriculture and provide the social amenities reqxiired the land must be brought into national owenrship. The problem of distressed areas and depressed industries should be dealt with as part of a national plan. The aged and children should be removed from industry and a reduction of the hours of labour effected. 1 HOME SECRETARY'S REPLY. The Home Secretary (Sir John Simon), speaking last night, assailed the Labour Party proposal to take over banks and businesses. Such a proposal, he said, struck at the foundation of the whole economic structure and threatened to undermine it as it was undermined four years ago. Another first-class financial crisis such as occurred in 71931 would, he added, bring in its/Wake a trail of ruin. The same causes would be bound to produce the same results. He recalled the services of Lord Snowden in 1931 when he helped to revise the spendthrift policy for which he had previously been partly responsible, and added that under the present Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Neville Chamberlain) the national finances had been completely re-established, all debits had been restored, taxation had been reduced, and British credit was now tfte best in the world.