Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1947 NEVER HIGHER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 75, 20 January 1947, Page 4

Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1947

NEVER HIGHER

BRITAIN’S PRESTIGE

AMERICAN LEADER’S VIEWS

Mr Eric Johnston, £50,000-a-year American industrialist, member of President Truman’s advisory panel and one of the most influential leaders -in America, told the British people:

“You are worrying too much, worrying about your future, worrying about what the United States is doing.

“There is no need for "you to be pessimistic. British prestige throughout the world was never higher.'

“The end of many world shortages is in sight, and I believe the dangers of world-wide inflation—with the U.S. giving the lead—are being overestimated.

“By next autumn, unless some thing disastrous hits next year’s crops, the main world food shortages will be over.”

Mr Johnston has been visiting Britain to meet the highest political and business leaders.

Discussing Anglo-American relations in London, Mr Johnston said: “At the moment the British people seem to be expecting too much from America. Your buying missions in the U.S. are not having the success they hoped , for, and the blame is placed on Washington for abandoning controls.

“People here do not seem to realise that some of the shortages here are just as acute as in the United States. You read about the good things we have, but you are not told the other side.

“I am convinced that many of these shortages, will end in the next half-year—if we in the U.S. avoid troubles. “But can we avoid troubles? Frankly, I fear that in the next six months the United States will see labour difficulties far greater than we have ever known before. We are heading for it.”