“SOCIALISM’S COLD HAND” SAID TO BE CRIPPLING BRITAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 November 1949, Page 6

“SOCIALISM’S COLD HAND” SAID TO BE CRIPPLING BRITAIN

AUCKLAND, Last N’ght (PA).Fears for the future of England under the ‘‘cold hand of Socialism ’ were expressed by Mr C. J Lovegrove, chairman of the Auckland Electric Power Board, today.

He was speaking to the board during a welcome on his return from a visit to the United Kingdom and the Continent.

‘‘England is grim, very grim, very austere and, quite frankly, 1 fear for her future,” said Mr Lovegrove. "I think it is our duty as a daughter Dominion, and of Australia and every other member of the British Commonwealth and every freedom loving country, to see that Britain one day regains that moral and economic preeminence which she has held for so long I am sorry to say that this has gone at the present lime and that this state of affairs has been induced by the cold hand of Socialism.” He was amazed at lhe lack of faith and hope the people of the United Kingdom themselves had in the future of their country, continued Mr Love-

grove. Everywhere he went, whether he spoke to a hotel porter, charwoman. railway .porter, small business man, company manager or great industrialist, he was told the Old Country was done after an heroic struggle of six years of war. This was tragic, said Mr Lovegrove. Yet war-battered Italy was making an economic recovery and France had gone even further. There was no rationing of any description in these two countries, but there was still austerity in England, the great victor of the campaign. “I do not know what the future of England is going to be, but no thinking person in the Old Country believes there will be any economic recovery under Socialism,” said Mr Lovegrove. ‘‘l do not want this criticism taken as a political one, because I have no political aspirations, now or in the future.”