GROWING RESTLESSNESS

Chronicle (Levin), 29 May 1946, Page 2

GROWING RESTLESSNESS

LABOUR POLICY IN BRITAIN PUBLIC FEELS PROMISES HAVE BEEN BROKEN Kcceived Tucsdav, 7 p.m. LONDON, May 28. Britain's labour Government is at prcsent expericueing a vcry dillicult period and tlie note of public critieism wliieh has been increasingly diseernible during the past few months, is feilding to heighteu. Whether it will have a pcnnanent dainaging eft'eot is not vet certain but as the end«of labour 's first vear of office approaches, balance sheets are already being cast and in domestic affairs particularly it is being said that tiro total does not check up with election promises. It all along has been clear that a war wt-arv British. public desires to return to a freer wav of life with a greater abundance of those things they lacked tbrougliout the war. Above all they desired more food, clothing, houses and freedom from controls and restriction. Instead of more food there is little difference discernible betweerr the rations of today and those otataining throughout • the war. While the world food shortage is appreciated. there yet remains, rightly or wrongly, the feeling that the position has been mishandled. Sir Ben Smith's not very fortunate record has been followed by the eciually unfortunate experiences of Mr. Morrison. These culminated in his. decision to divert 200,000 tons of wheat tb Germany, and the denial from Washington of the truth of Mr. Morrison 's remjirks in the Comirions. It cansed a general air of puzzled disgrimtlement in which the rights or wrongs of Mr. Morrison 's actions and statements temporarily are tending to be overlooked. Much. the same atmosphere exists regarding clothes and houses. Whatever Labour Ministers may sav about supplies to come, the British public has now got to a point where it mc-taphorically slirugs its slioulders and savs; ' ' Well, we haven't got theni now and tliis isn't what you promised. " Another cavise of growing eon'cern is the steady rising of prices not only for things like motor cars but also what is more iniportant to the man in the street, for utility clothing. The faet that the general rise in the cost of living may be connected with demands for liigher wages, does not seem to eoncern tlie public which demands liigher -wages toyneet the rise and Ihereafter, f'airly- or- unfairlv, lays the blanie for dearer living ou the (iovernnieut. Wheiii.all these things are luiuped together, they provide a f'airly tliick corc for critk'ism. In addition, on the subject of nationalisation, the Government is under two lires — oue from the Opposition which maintains it is going too fast at an inopportune timo, and another from the more extrenis members of its own party \\ h j eontend it is not going fast or far cnough. Industrialists are particularly troublod and there is also a note of concern t h at p-cduction per manhours has droppel esfxi-ially in tlie coal mines which cor.stitute oue of Britain's n.ajor pr biems todaj'. In foreign affairs tliere liad been, until the subiect of Lgypt cropped up, a r'airlv wldb nieasure of agreemeut ~o n tlie (tove-iimtiit 's policy. The ehief disS'liitienls vverc a sinai! group in the Labour j a 1 1 y itself which regarded Mr. Bevin's i clicy with suspic.ion, particularly since .it was accorded the Opposition 's b'essing. Actually it would apappear there is also a broad nieasure of agre'Vtnonl ou What botli tlie Government an 1 Opposition desire in Egypt, nnmely sccrrity of tlie eanal and tlie expectanc^ that Britaiii will help.to defend it in t me of war. This was made clear by Mr. Bevin. But critieism that the Government was giving awav bargaining points bcfore the iiegotiations began and iuipressions tliat British troops ' were being hustled out ratlier precipitately, has given rise to the opinion as voiced by. Capt. Oliver Lyttelton that the Governnient's policy in Egypt is one of "scuttle and skeedaddle. "■ There are also some, particularly returued servieemen, who do not plaee m'uch- reliance ou Egyptian politicians or armv to defend the country or caiial for any length of time. The Egyptian debate, however, did. do one thing for the Government. It removed that restless feeling among its ranks that Mr. Bevin was following in Mr. Eden's footsteps. Until now, whenever critieism had been made of tlie Labour Govemmbnt, there . had always been a section of the public that would liavo queried Avhetlier the Conservatives could have done better liad they been in poweY. Poi' the first time it is probably correct -to say that the query is perhaps begiuning to hold ground. To that extent it seems fair to suggest that Labour has lost some prestige.