REPLY TO U.S. PRESS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 7 August 1945, Page 2

REPLY TO U.S. PRESS

ATTITUDE TO ELECTION RESULT London, Aug. 5. Mr Quintin Hogg, in an open letter in the "Daily Mail” to Americans, declares that though he is a Conservative born and bred, he is confident that Britain’s foreign policy will in no wise be weakened by the advent of the Labour Government. Referring to the American attitude to the result of the British election, he said: "I make no complaint that you found the result surprising, but it is rather more difficult to excuse the tendency in your newspapers to criticise us for choosing a Labour Government. So long as the present Administration tries, as I am sub® it will, to maintain the honour and dignity of this country abroad and protect its interests. Mr Bevin will be able to count on not only the- support of the considerable Parliamentary majority but also that of a united people. ‘The Wall Street financiers will be illadvised if they try to make you think that the stability and credit of Britain are not as strong as ever. We expect l no nonsense from ihe new Government, and we should not stand any if we got it. The British traditions are among the best in the world, and if this or any other Government were to attempt to undermine and interfere with them the Government, not the traditions, would be the losers.’* "RED FLAG’S” MEANING Referring to the singing of the "Red Flag” in the House of Commons, Mr Hogg says it is difficult for those who are not acquainted with British manners and, customs to understand that 'on the lips of a British Labourite the "Red Flag” is rather less revolutionary than the “Eton Boating Song” and is sung for much the same reasons. He adds that the Labour members, after their singing, went through the solemn ritual of electing a Conservative as Speaker. "So. my timorous American friends, take heart." he says. "If there is any economic difficulty between Britain and America it is far more likely to be due to your tariff policy than to any economic weakness here. Whatever the Briti.'i people think of one another they mean to make their country hippy, great and prosperous.”