LABOUR'S CASE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 133, 7 June 1945, Page 7

LABOUR'S CASE

SPEECH BY MR. ATTLEE

REPLY TO MR. CHURCHILL

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

LONDON, June 5,

"Mr. Churchill has forgotten that Australia and New Zealand have had Socialist Governments for years, to the great benefit of their peoples and with none of the dreadful consequences to which he has referred," said Mr. C. R. Attlee, who, as leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party, broadcast the second of the series of radio talks by party leaders in the British election campaign. "The voice we heard last night was Mr. Churchill's, but the mind # was that of Lord Beaverbrook," he said.

Dealing with the reason for the' election, Mr. Attlee recalled that Mr Churchill, in introducing the Prolongation of Parliament Bill last year, said: "I have myself the clear view that it would be wrong to continue this Parliament beyond the period of the German war." He could not accept Mr. Churchill's proposal to continue until the war against Japan ended, which might be a long time. The Labour Ministers had offered to continue till the autumn. He was sorry that Mr. Churchill, who after all owed his position as Prime Minister to the Labour Party, should have accused them of putting the party before the country. The calling of the General Election involved the break-up of the Government, but it did not alter the firm resolve of the Labour Party to do its utmost to win the war against Japan. All preparations had been made while the Labour Ministers were still in office to ensure that the men and materials necessary for the purpose should be made available. Equally, they were resolved to maintain for as long as necessary the forces that were required elsewhere to deal with the aftermath of the war. VITAL TO WORLD PEACE. Mr. Attlee referred to the agreed plans for reallocation and ultimate demobilisation of the forces and on. other matters, and said he hoped i there might also be continued agreement on the main lines of development of Britain's foreign policy. Modern long-range weapons made I still more cogent reasons for creating a world organisation for the maintenance of peace, and it was vital to world peace that the close co-opera-tion between the British Commonwealth, America, and Russia should continue. Germany and* Japan must be deprived of the power to make war again, but it was not enough to prevent war. It was the world economic anarchy between the wars which gave Hitler his chance. "I hold that it should be the principal object of the United Nations to wage war against hunger, poverty, disease, and ignorance and to promote the greatest measure of economic cooperation between all nations to raise the standards of life of the masses of the people," he said. "It is in the light of these world problems that we must consider our domestic policy. The Conservative Party believed that the basis of economic activities must be private enterprise inspired by the motive of private profit. Yet a great number of people had always been badly' housed, fed, and clothed. The Labour Party believed that if certain results were wanted the country must plan to secure them. They believed that in peace as in war the public interest must come first. In the war, in spite of the diversion of energies to the making of instruments of destruction, m spite !of the shortage of supply, we had been able to provide food, clothing, and employment for all the people. It was not impossible to do the same in peace, provided the Government had the will and the power to act. DANGER OF INFLATION. Some of the wartime restrictions were irksome, though very necessary, continued Mr. Attlee. They should be removed as soon as possible. Others were still vitally needed to protect the public from profiteers and monopolists, yet strong elements in the Conservative Party clamoured for the abolition of those controls. There was a world shortage of many kinds of food and most consumable goods, while there was in the hands of the j public a large volume of purchasing j power. There would be a rush for the available commodities if the controls were removed, and prices would soar. • The Labour Party was determined not to countenance inflation, which was no imaginary danger. Raw materials must be used to the best advantage. Houses, schools, and factories must come before luxury buildings. They must control the use of the land and have the power to acquire what the nation or the local council needed, paying a fair price but not an extravagant ransom. They needed planned industry and must have no more distressed areas. None j of these things could be effected without giving power to the Government. It had only been through the power of Parliament that the public was protected from the greed of profitmakers and property owners. SOCIALISATION AIMS. No one supposed that all industries could or should be socialised forthwith, but there were certain basic industries which, from their nature, were ripe for conversion into public j services. Inland transport was tending more and more to become a 'monopoly, and it was not safe to leave a monopoly in private hands, lhe Conservative Government had bought out the owners of coal, but proposed to leave the getting and distributing I of the coal in the hands of people whose inefficiency had been condemned by every impartial inquiry. Much of the production of gas and electricity was already in public hands. Labour's policy was to transform the whole business of providing fuel, power, and light into a public service. A similar policy would be pursued in relation to iron and steel. There must in every case be a suitable organisation which, while protecting the public interests, would give scope for business organisation! and the application of scientific methods. There would be plenty of scope for the technician and for that enterprise which was so often lacking in private industry today. Fair but not excessive compensation would be paid. It was the Labour policy to stimulate industry, and especially to help the export trade, but help would be given only on the condition that the industry or trade was efficient. The British people had accomplished far harder tasks, and they could do these things if they willed them and worked for them, Mr. Attlee said.