DEMOBILISATION

Grey River Argus, 30 November 1944, Page 8

DEMOBILISATION

BRITAIN'S PROBLEMS • RUGBY, November 25. . The Minister of Labour (Mr. Sevin) speaking at Leeds about the Government’s demobilisation plans, said there would be thousands of jobs going after the war, and there would be no fear of unemployment for several years. Referring to priority for building operatives and teachers in demobilisation, the Minister said: ‘.‘To attempt to bring out all sorts of other people would break the demobilisation scheme down. It would only lead to favouritism, and eoldiers with five or six years’ service will not stand for that. If we once allow ourselves to be cajoled by political pressure to grant releases outside the strictly impartial demobilisation plan, the whole idea would completely; break down as it did after the last war.”

Commenting on the recent clamoui* for release of people from service, Mr. Bevin said: “This trouble in the United States arouse because immediatly the Allies went through France and Belgium into Holland, th e Press and many responsible people in industry in America assumed that the war was l over. They shouted for rapid reconversion of thousands of people from service and war work into civilian industry. Thousands of people ran out of munition factories, and munitions production completely broke down in many places.” “In America and in this country employers, the Press, and trade Unions will have to keep their heads when these Allied advances take place. Otherwise we shall be landed in a mess in munitions production. If the British Government had not had a' pretty good grip, this clamour for release from service might have had serious results here a few months ago. Everyone pestered my life out of me to release people from the army. If I had listened to them—well, Hitler might have beaten us.” Speaking of the demand for the release of women, particularly older women, from industry, Mr. Bevin said he foresaw no difficulty. Some people had decried the employment of older women. “If we had not registered women up to 51 and got thousands of workers by it, we could scarcely have been ready for D day,” he said. “That is.’ another example of how shortsighted political agitation usually is.”