CLOSE WATCH

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 149, 21 December 1945, Page 7

CLOSE WATCH

FASCIST ACTIVITIES

BRITAIN MAY NEED WIDER

CONTROL-POWERS

(By Telegraph—Prtiss Association—Copyright.) Rec. 11 a.m. . LONDON, December 20.

An indication that he is considering whether wider legal powers should be obtained to deal with the resurgence of Fascist activity in Britain was given by the Home Secretary, Mr. Chuter Ede, in the House of Commons to- # day.

Keplying to a long series of questions about the activities of Sir Oswald Mosley and his supporters, Mr. Ede said that the conditions under which Mosley was released from detention ceased to have effect when Defence Eegulation 188 was revoked. The Government was aware of all the risks involved in the revival of Fascist activity and was keeping a close watch for any manifestations of this kind. He was not prepared to'announce ■what steps would be taken ■if the menace became pronounced, but he had no intention that democracy should be overthrown by truculent minorities. The Special Branch at Scotland Yard would not exceed its present powers, but he did not want to blink the fact that it might be necessary to arm the Home Secretary with greater powers in future. v At the same time Mr. Ede appealed to members of the House to exercise a sense of proportion, and he reminded them that they were members of a very ancient democracy with a great sense of honour. They should not flatter these people by making them appear to be more menacing than they were.

One of the questioners asked whether the Minister would consider appointing a small legal Commission to advise on means of protecting the country, on the basis that it was not sensible, in the name of freedom, to allow men to destroy freedom.

ADRIFT ALL NIGHT

f LYING-BOAT FORCED DOWN

BRISBANE, December 20. An R.A.A.F. flying-boat with 30 servicemen aboard drifted all night at sea about 40 miles south of Bundaberg. It was taken in tow by a rescue launch early today and is expected to reach Bundaberg this afternoon. The crew and the passengers escaped injury and the plane is undamaged. The flying-boat was forced down by engine trouble at 2.30 p.m. yesterday. At 9 p.m. the flying-boat, which was anchored in a heavy sea about half a mile off shore, broke her anchor line and began to drift to sea. A rescue boat which left Bundaberg at 4 p.m. was forced to return at nightfall because of heavy weather. Two planes left Bundaberg in an attempt to drop provisions but failed to reach the fly-ing-boat before darkness. The seas quietened during the night but were still rough when the tow began. By wireless during the night the pilot of the flying-boat said the machine was in no immediate danger, and that it was being kept afloat by taxiing on the one engine still functioning.