LABOUR CONFERENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 September 1944, Page 4

LABOUR CONFERENCE

POST-WAR PROBLEMS.

LONDON, September 12. Post-war problems will be exhaustively discussed at the conference of representatives of' British and Dominion Labour Parties, the first of its kind, which opened to-day. The conference is continuing for about three weeks. The British Labour Party representatives include Miss Ellen Wilkinson, Chairman of the Party, who presided, Mr. Dalton, President of the Board ,of Trade, and the Commoners, Messrs Greenwood, Shinwell, James, Griffiths and Walker. New Zealand is represented by Mr. M. Moohan, National Secretary of the Dominion Labour Party. The Australian representatives are Mr. T. Davis, Secretary of the West Australian Labour Party, and Mr. J. F. Walsh, Vice-president of the South Australia Party. Canada and South Africa are also-represented. Miss- Wilkinson, welcoming the delegates, said the conference would discuss trade, immigration, transport, currencies and similar problems, and beyond all these the larger problem of how members of the Empire could keep together and make possible a better life for their people. Mr. Attlee, Leader of the British Labour Party, said:. “I know tnere will be no faltering in the ranks of labour until victory is won and German and Japanese aggression utterly defeated. That, I am sure, will be the first determination of this conference.” If peace is to be preserved, however, he added, they must see the causes of war removed. Freedom of democracy must be based not only on security, but also on social justice. New Zealand and Australia had shown what could be done in furthering Labour ideals. It. was acknowledged to-day that we must have planning for expansion, not for restriction. Thousands of people realised that victory in war could only be achieved by putting the interest of the community before private profit, and are now seeing this is also the key to post-war reconstruction. AUSTRALIAN-N.Z. IDEALS. Mr. Davis said that Australia had suffered her own great trials during the war, but post-war reconstruction must not be left too late. We could not wait until the war is over before making plans. We must have blueprints of the sort of world we wished to build up. Australia and New Zealand, which over a number of years had been able to apply the Socialist policy, might be able to assist the remainder of the Empire in the common good. Our peoples were entitled to look forward to basing their lives on a new social order. He added he hoped that this historic conference would demonstrate to the world just as the Dominions could contribute to the common cause, so the Empire could, by international co-operation, contribute to peace and social security. Mr. Moohan said the first post-war aim must be full economic security for all peoples. The people wanted the terms of the Atlantic Charter translated into something they could understand in terms of security and equality of opportunity. No person able and willing to work should be denied the right to work, otherwise the sacrifices of the working classes would have been in vain.

Sir W. Citrine, General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress, deprecated anything of the “cast iron” character of the Versailles Treaty in approaching post-war settlements. The remainder of the conference will be held privately. The Home Secretary, Mr. Morrison. addressing a private session during the afternoon, reviewed the war situation and declared the European war was reaching the last- lap, and the period of hostilities was limited. He reaffirmed Britain’s pledge to prosecute with.vigour, energy, and determination the war against Japan after the defeat of Germany. The Dominion visitors will probably tour Britain later and see the war effort of the British workers. PRESS COMMENT. (Rec. 1.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 12. “The Times,” in a leader on the conference, said: Functional gatherings of this kind are of peculiar service to the Empire and to the causes for which it stands. The New Zealand and Australian representatives rightly demand that the overthrow of Japan shall be as thorough as that of Germany and that peace shall be made equally secure throughout the world. Mr. Attlee, speaking as Deputy-Prime Minister and Leader of the British Labour Party, was able to give an emphatic undertaking to this effect. The conference will be concerned, however, not only with victory but with the uses of victory. The whole British Commonwealth in this great enterprise will require to play much more than a self-regard-ing role, and to share in the economic leadership as it has already shared in the political leadership of the world.