PRIME MINISTER’S WARNING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 January 1940, Page 5

PRIME MINISTER’S WARNING

OLD STANDARDS OF LIVING ADEQUATE SUPPLIES FOR HEALTH AND EFFICIENCY THE RATIONING SYSTEM [British Official Wireless] (Received 12th January, 10.5 a.m.) RUGBY, llth-January. The emphasis laid by the Prime Minister in his Mansion House speech on the warning- that the war must inevitably mean a smaller supply of goods for civilian consumption, and that the old standards of living cannot be maintained has made a deep impression in rosonsible quarters throughout Britain. Renewed attention is given in the Press to the danger and futility of allowing wages to run a race—necessarily a losing race—against prices, and while it is recognised that some adjustment of wages for those on the lowest grade may be necessary to meet the rise in the cost of food, firm action to control the rise in the price of articles of consumption essential to wages is regarded as a necessary feature of the effort to check the inflationary movements of wages. “The Times” says: “Mr Chamberlain mad-! this perfectly clear in his speech when he referred to the Prices of Goods Act, defined to prevent profiteering in commodities, and to the rationing system which had just been introduced to ensure that everybody shall share and share alike in the necessary foodstuffs of which supply falls short of the demand. He added that ‘while there is no reason to suppose that the country will have to go short of anything which is necessary for health or efficiency, we shall not hesitate to add to the list of rationed commodities if necessary before it becomes apparent.’ ” EASING STRAIN ON RESERVES ‘lt is plain enough,” adds “The “that if we are to ease the strain upon our shipping and upon our reserves of foreign exchange then every one must economise as much as possible in purchases of goods which have to be imported and goods in short supply. “The course which the war has taken up to the present is so different from 1914 that it has made it difficult for some people to realisethat we cannot expect to carry on our lives as if we were still at peace. The Prime Minister’s frankness, herefore, is all the more welcome. READINESS FOR SACRIFICE “Our people are not less patriotic or less capable of self-discipline than those of our sister democracy and ally across the Channel. There can be no doubt of their readiness to accept any sacrifice and any restriction if they are assured that it is essential as part of a general plan for securing victory in the shortest possible time.” LIVING ON OR BELOW THE POVERTY LINE EIGHTY PER CENT OF THE WORLD NEUTRALS AND BELLIGERENTS ON HALF RATIONS WASHINGTON, llth January. The Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, defending the Trade Agreements’ Act before the House Ways and Means Committee, said that a policy of reciprocal trading alone would forestall an economic breakdown. With the spread of dictatorships and recurrent wars the world faced anarchy unless it was rebuilt economically by the methods which trade treaties provided. LAW BRUSHED ASIDE “All international law and morality are brushed aside in a large part of the world,” said Mr Hull. “A major part of the purchasing power of many nations is being absorbed in war preparations. Eighty per cent of the world is living on or below the poverty line and neutrals and belligerents are living on half rations.” WESTERN FRONT FRENCH MORNING COMMUNIQUE [British Official Wireless] (Received 12th January, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, llth January. A French official morning communi* que states: “There was nothing to re* port during the night. Two enemy planes were brought down within out lines on 10th January.” NEAR LUXEMBURG A Luxemburg message reports artillery bombardment near the Luxemburg frontier. Many aeroplanes were seen, and anti-aircraft fire was directed against Nazi planes over the French front.—By radio. HORSELESS ARMY f U.P.A.—By Electric Telegraph-Copyright] PARIS, 10th January. “Le Jour” says that on the Western Front the British Expeditionary Force possesses only three horses, all of which are for the use of Lord Gort, the Commander-in-Chief. WORKLESS TO GO INTO ARMY SWITZERLAND’S DECISION Switzerland’s 22,000 unemployed are to be put into the army, stated a Daventry broadcast last night. The new national defence law provides similar pay and allowances as for the regular troops, but if any ablebodied unemployed refuse to do national defence work they will lose their unemployed benefits. —By radio. FRENCH COMPANY’S ATTACK (Received 12th January, 11.30 a.m.) BERLIN, llth January. The official news agency say that a French company, backed by heavy fire, broke through the German lines east of Forbach. The Germans counter_attacked, forcing back the French, killing a humber and taking several prisoners. REPORTED MISSING A NEW ZEALAND PILOT (Received 12th January, 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, llth January. Pilot Officer Denys Williams, of Wellington, [s reported missing, believed killed.