Coal is Britain's Gold

Evening Star, Issue 26153, 15 July 1947, Page 5

Coal is Britain's Gold

It is certain that - all • the Government’s inducements to the coal miners have not produced so far that sustained effort on which Britain is relying to put her industry on its feet again. Coal is Britain’s gold to-day, but all the Government’s exhortations have not prevented both recruitment and output from dwindling. The miners in addition are still asking for higher ■wages, and- their “ non-official ” strikers are being "threatened with prosecution. There is also a growing feeling that acceptance of ■ the plan by Congress will not in the least be automatic. It is believed to be by no means certain that, however quick successful the present Paris conference may be', rapid aid will be forthcoming from America. If, as Mr Morrison said, that , aid does not come “in time ” Britain may be faced with such dras- ; tic import cuts that a political upheaval willfollow.

: There is growing opinion that sooner or later Britain must stand on her own feet without relying on American aid and that the sooner the Government faces the fact and takes decisive action to gear the country to an effort for “ total peace ” in the same way as the Country worked for total war the better it will be for everybody.. In effect Britain must cry a halt to the present period of “phoney peace.” EXPORTS TO EARN CURRENCY (Rec. 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, July 14. The British Food Minister, i Mr Stracbey, announced in the House of Conimons to-day that the Government has decided to extport a limited and carefully selected amount of manufactured food such as beer, biscuits, and chocolates. It is expected to earn £10,000,000 annually from the sale of these goods in hard currency areas, and would thus be able to buy nearly 500,000 tons of additional basic foods with the foreign currency earned. Very .little s'ugar, fats, or cereals would be needed.