LABOUR ATTITUDE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 13 September 1937, Page 6

LABOUR ATTITUDE

BRITISH REARMAMENT WITHDRAWAL OF OPPOSITION CHANGED INTERNATIONAL SITUATION lUritis'i Utltrmi Wirplessl (Received 12th September, 11.50 a.m.) RUGBY, 11th September. The “Daily Herald” reports at length on the Trades Union Congress’s almost unanimous approval at Norwich of the statement on international policy and defence prepared by the National Council of Labour. Its political opponents have naturally not been able to resist making some play with what “The Times" calls going "back to facts” and coming “down from the clouds on more solid facts,” but through the patronage of political criticism and the pique and primness which it provokes in pro-Labour circles, there may be seen the serious and commonrealisation that the decision of the Trade Union Congress, which it is considered certain will be endorsed by the Labour Party Conference next month, represents an important manifestation of national will and determination that Britain shall be equipped adequately to discharge her responsibilities for peace and war.

The "Daily Herald” says editorially

“Approval of the statement by the unions connotes recognition that the long-established foreign policy of Labour required a different attitude I to national defence, not because the policy has changed but because the in- : ternational situation has changed. Opposition to rearmament is withdrawn j because Labour in fact believes that j Fascist aggression has made British re- ; armament inevitable.” VIEWS OF LEADERS FIRST DUTY TO REBUILD LEAGUE [British Ofiieial Wireless] RUGBY, 10th September. By 3,544.000 to 224.000, the Trades Union Congress defeated the proposed reference back of the section of the General Council’s report dealing with international policy and defence. The report, which has been generally regarded as bringing the support of the trade union movement to the Government’s rearmament programme, was then adopted almost unanimously. Sir Walter Citrine, in a speech which was enthusiastically received, said their first duty was to try to rebuild the League of Nations. They would never abandon it and they wanted to cooperate with other countries in that purpose.. But it would take time, and meantime the prime responsibility for the maintenance of peace might fall on one of the countries adequately prepared and ready to shoulder those responsibilities. In these circumstances they could not escape the conclusion that a measure of rearmament was indispensable if a country was to face its obligations. The Labour Party hoped to become at no distant date the Government of the country. But if rearmament was necessary, common sense dictated it should not wait the advent of the Labour Party to power. This argument was addressed by Sir Walter Citrine to the movers of the reference back, who expressed distrust of the National Government’s foreign policy, and he added, “Much as I may distrust the intention of the British Government, I distrust the intentions of dictators even more.” The debate was enlivered by the intervention of a delegate of the Navigators’ and Engineers’ C ' ers Union, who declared, “These are days of pirates on the high seas. Our merchantmen are attacked by pirates who have not even the chivalry to nail to the mast the black flag with the skull and crossbones.”

Never in its history had England more need for her power of defence, Captain Coombes told the Congress.