LABOUR'S TROUBLES

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 64, 13 September 1945, Page 7

LABOUR'S TROUBLES

DEMOBILISATION PROBLEM

(Special P.A. Correspondent.)

LONDON, September 12

The new Labour Government may be sdid to have encountered its first major problem in the question of the speed of demobilisation of the forces. Neither the announcement in the House of Commons by the Minister of Labour (Mr. Isaacs) nor his remarks after Mr. Attlee's unpopular broadcast on the subject have given satisfaction.

An incipient suggestion in some quarters that trie criticism was just an Opposition stick with which to belabour the new Government, has halted in the face of the attitude of the Trades Union Congress which declared that it was convinced that release from the Armed Forces could be vigorously accelerated. It also called for reconsideration of the general system of release. It instructed its general council to make representations to the Government on the whole question. While Mr. Attlee has.spoken of the chaos which would ensue if the Bevin scheme was abandoned, the T.U.C. president, Mr. Edwards,., has stated that the Government will face grave unrest from the forces if they cling to it and refuse to amend its paceAt the present rate of demobilisation, 4.000,000 will be in the forces at the New Year, and in a year's time the figure will still be 2,500,000. HAMPERING FACTORS. Two obstacles are stated to be [ hampering quicker release; first, trans-

port to bring home the men from overseass, and, secondly, that the Services cannot yet state their requirements with any precision. Lack of transport is resulting in men at home eligible for release being kept in idleness because, under the present scheme, they cannot be demobilised until men in their same group have returned from overseas. "Demob those at home and give the men overseas double pay," is one suggestion made to. the Government, which, after the action of the T.U.C., is bound to reconsider the whole position.

In view of the intimate relationship of the Labour Party and the T.U.C., it is considered that this year's congress will have greater importance than on any previous occasion. The Labour Government's honeymoon period after its victory at the polls definitely ended with this opposition to its demobilisation plans, and there are reports that an enormou3 reservoir of good will is beginning to drain away in view of its failure to fulfil its promises. This "latter point, however, can be largely disregarded ss being propaganda-criticism, since obviously the Government has not been in power -long enough to be fully tested.

CONSERVATIVES CRITICISED.

As regards the Conservatives, according to Mr. Quintin Hogg, writing in the "Daily Mail," there are now too many Micawbers in the party, sitting back and hoping for something to turn up. He says that some Conservatives place their reliance on a split in the Government ranks. Others count on the genera] incompetence of Labour to make any headway with the difficulties of the nation.- Some rely on the swing of the pendulum to take them back into power, and others again believe in changing the name of the party. . Mr Hogg scouts these notions, declaring that the Conservatives need a new organisation, a' new programme, and a new strategy, adding: "Nothing short of a complete reconditioning of our party will suffice." . Indicative of the Conservatives divided opinion is the refusal of Lieut.Colonel W. A. Sinclair, the unsuccessful Conservative candidate at East Edinburgh in the General Election, to contest the coming by-election there caused by the elevation to the peerage of Mr. Pethick-Lawrence. Colonel Sinclair said: "It appears by no means certain that the party as a whole is a reform party. There are two main trends or outlooks. There are those members whose object is to reform and those whose object is to preserve. I sympathise with the former

DOUBTS CREATED,

"It appeared to me when I adopted that the Conservative Party would follow the reforming line, but , the manner in which the General Election campaign was conducted on the highest levels and other factors, such as the part played by Lord Beaverbrook, whose activities were a. constant embarrassment, have aroused serious' misgivings. . ■ . "I of late, have been increasingly disturbed at what appears to me evidence that the general direction of the party is in the hands of men who do not appreciate how fundamental are the changes that have taken place and are going to take place m the social and economic situation As for the Liberal Party, though it may apepar to be dead, it will not, Srdmg to Lady Violet BonhamC Nettne 1? ifcTSlicy nor Personality' appeared to cut any ice whatever ia th? election. At a recent candidates conference Lady Bonham-Carter said: "The lection was certainly not won on Socialism. The motive force was an anti-Tory tidal wave-which was wholly creditable to the nation. She urged immediate steps to put in as many candidates to fight bySections and tackle the party's reorganisation throughout the country.

PERSONAL CHECK-UP

Rec 10 a.m. LONDON, September 12. The Secretary of War, Mr. J. J. La Mrson, has left by-air for South-east Asia to investigate repatriation and leave problems on the spot.