BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION DATE STILL SUBJECT OF SPECULATION IN PRESS AND CONFERENCE OF TORY PARTY

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1949, Page 5

BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION DATE STILL SUBJECT OF SPECULATION IN PRESS AND CONFERENCE OF TORY PARTY

(Received 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 13 A Reuter political correspondent says: The Government Big Three, Mr C. M. Attlee,; Mr Ernest Bevan and Mr H. Morrison held an eig’hty-niinute talk on the timing of a general election at No. 10 Dowing Street, late last night. Political quarters believe that the meeting settled the question of whether there will be dissolution next spring, as has long been arranged, oil next month, for which a section of the Cabinet have been pressing.

The correspondent says.—The “Big Three'’ met within a few hours of Mr Kevin’s return from the United States. They will report the result of their talk to a meeting of the full Cabinet this morning. The Cabinet on their recommendation, may take a final decision oni.the naming of an election, but Cabinet is likely to maintain close secrecy on the decision until the Conservative Party’s annual conference ends to-morrow.

The correspondent continues: The ■Cabinet is said to be equally divided on the question of timing. One section, headed by the Health Minister, Mr Aneurin Bevan, who are supported by the Left Wing Labourites, favours a November election. Another section takes the view thta the Government should run its full course, to the middle of 1950. TORY PARTY PROPAGANDA FOR GENERAL ELECTION Attacks on Devaluation And Nationalisation (Rec 10.40) LONDON, Oct 13. The- Conservative Party is now holding its annual conference. The party chairman, Lord Woolton, at a Party dinner last night, said: “1 saw with some surprise the other day that I had fixed November 21 as the date of the general election. I don’t fix election dates. I wish I couid., Those are secrets locked in Mr Attlee’s bosom. I can tell you two things. Firstly, whenever it comes, we are ready. Secondly, I can give you the name of the next P’rime Minister."

The Conservative Party’s biggest ever annual conference today unanimously adopted an emergency resolution condemning the Labour Government’s economic conduct culminating in the devaluation of the pound sterling. Meeting amid feverish speculation that the general election might be held early next spring—perhaps even next . month—4soo delegates were attuned to the “campaign atmosphere.” Mr. Anthony Eden, former Foreign Secretary and Mr. Winston Churchill’s second in command in "uhe party, stimulated this atmosphere by a hard hitting speach, declaring that devaluation had made it certain that Britain’s standard of living was going down. “Devaluation is not in any sense a magic wand,” he said. “It is not even a policy. It is a pretty desperate de-. vice. .Unless we set a new course at I once, the fall —which must in. any

event be painful—will be catastrophic.”

The Labour Government, he declared, had spent to much time destroying wealth and too little time creating it. Mr. Eden said the Conservatives could promise nothing but hard and challenging times as the only road to national solvency.

“In some industries this will mean longer hours,” he said. “In every industry it will mean more effort of brain and muscle in the hours being worked. Above all we need a Government that will tell the whole truth to the nation, however sharp and however disagreeable the challange cannot come to soon.”

Mr. Eden said Britain must seek a solution of the problem of sterling balances. Unemployment, he stated, was certain when Marshall Aid was exhausted and the seller’s market came to an end, unless the right action was taken.

Mr. Oliver Lyttelton launched a strong attack on nationalisation, which, he said, the Conservatives opposed “in all the forms in which it has been presented and in which it is threatened.”

He said the Labour Party’s proposals to nationalise insurance broke all the pledges given by Mr. Atlee and Sir Stafford Cripps. “It is shameless to try to invoke the Dunkirk spirit and to call for national unity and sacrifice, if at the same time you propose to proceed with the nationalisation. of iron and steel,” he declared. “The Bill is being introduced only for one reason—to take a further step in controlling industry in all its aspects, gripping once more with a fresh grip all the industries which depends for their basic raw materials on iron and steel.”

Steps towards nationlisation were “measures by which the Socialist Government is preparing the seed-bed for Communism,” he added. “Loss Of Independence

The Conservative Party reaffirmed its ‘stand against nationalisation and deplored the “loss of independence” of the unions in the nationalised industries.

The conference unanimously passed three resolutions backing the Tory stand on matters that will certainly be hot issues during the election.

The first resolution declared that all unions should be freed from political affiliations and that strikes * should not begin without} a secret ballot. The second said that nationalisation of insurance would be “detrimental to policy-holders, insurance staffs and the country ” j The third urged the adoption of methods whereby the nationalised inI dustries and services “may again be made efficient.”