FOREIGN POLICY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 25 May 1945, Page 5

FOREIGN POLICY

OUTLINED BY MR BEVIN London, May 23. The foreign policy of the British Labour Party aims at the welding together of Britain, America and Russia to prevent aggression. It also provides for universal, orderly but sufficient distribution of food. This policy was laid down by Mr Ernest Bevin. Minister of Labour, in the National Government, whose speech on the subject at to-day’s session of the. Lbaour Parly conference was unanimously accepted as the party’s policy. Mr Bevin said, that Empire preference must be maintained while other countries used tariffs against Britain. Also another National Service Act must be introduced till it could be seen how the new world security organisation would turn out. Outlining the foreign policy, he said: “Our insurance premium, for which v. -• have to pay in commitments, must be Britain, America and Russia. These three must be welded together into a great power to prevent aggression. But this require* patience and toleration, and an attempt to understand the other man’s point c f view.” Mr Bevin declared that the prime cause of depressions, unemployment and malnutrition was speculation and financial manipulation by middlemen in the production and distribution of food A powerful .British Labour Government was essential to ensure the success of the policy laid down by the United Nations conference at Hot Springs, where a resolution designed to reduce hunger and suffering among the poor of the world was adopted and where it was decided to establish a permanent organisation to work toward the goal of freedom from want. PRICES Labour stands for the universal and orderly but sufficient distribution of food, preventing the middlemen from gambling on the world markets. If the industrial army of Britain was to maintain a decent standard of life they must be just to the peasants and the primary producers of the world. Britain must plan for bulk purchase, which they had done during the war. Britain must aim at the establishment of a minimum wheat price, which was most vital to foreign policy. The farmer must have a guaranteed price, not only nationally but internationally. For that reason Britain must return to the almost forgotten policy of import boards. Labour’s policy was to maintain decent agricultural standards of pay in Britain; ito make home agriculture efficient; to buy from overseas, put their own produce with it and average the price, and maintain a decent standard at both ends. International combines which limited production and caused scarcities must be fought. Empire prefernece must be retained so long as other countries used tariffs against them, but if there was a lowering of tariffs throughout the world the problem would have to be reconsidered with the Dominions. Empire preference was useless if private enterprise threw it away. Mr Bevin declared that something must be devised as a balancing factor in international exchange to prevent the wild fluctuations which were disastrous to employment. INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE Declaring that Labour stood for collective security. Mr Bevin said: “It is no use shouting about international police forces if you are not going to supply the policemen.” Full employment. he said, would mean very little voluntary enlistment for the services, and Britain, therefore must extend National Service at least till she knew how the world organisation would turn out. The Labour Government would try to settle the Indian problem by adding more and more responsibility to the Indian Government year by year, and would close the India Office and transfer its business to the Dominions Office. “We are anxious to create a situation in all States in Europe, east or west, in which fredemocratic elections can be held.” he said. “We pledge ourselves never to use the small States in order to get advantages. There is a fear at the back of some people’s minds that we will use the eas'ern States as a springboard against Russia, and there may be lurking fears that Russia will use them against us. It will be Labour’s aim to remove the lack of confidence which is the basis of these fears.

We have no bad record to live down. We have never sent a director of the Bank of England to deal with Russia’s enemies.” Mr Bevin concluded with references to France and Italy. “France is going Left, and the - Left understands the Left,’ he said.