NO ILLUSIONS ABOUT THE SITUATION

Chronicle (Levin), 1 February 1947, Page 8

NO ILLUSIONS ABOUT THE SITUATION

(Speeial Correspondent.)

SERIOUS INDiJSTRIAL PGSITION IN RRlTiift

Receivfed Fnday, 7.20 p.rtl. LONDON; ,Jan.,3i. : All this week eclioes to the White Paper on Britain's "extremely seflous" industrial positionj liave., been rumbling round the coiintry. Mingled with thehi have been revferb'erations from America. Reaetioiis heffe have been two-fold: a general diseussion on pbliey to feniedy the situktion; infereaHed interest in tlie seeond White Paper on the eeonomie positibn whifeh the Goyfernment is reported to be redratting and which is- due to be piiblislied about February 12. Manjv theories have been advaiited on the line of action Britain should folloiv. That there must be higher production is taken for granted: The. question is how is it to be effeeted. The answcrs include improved industrial organisation together with the rfelaxation of Government controls, an examination of the manpower p'osition and recruitment of fofeign labour to provide -the extra lialf-million 'workers required, and measures for increasing incentive among workers. With one exception thrs is mostly grouxid that has already been covered. The exception is manpower and this week has seen a number of ideas aired as to how Britain can make more use' of her available manpower and tlie varidus advantages to "be derived froiri importing foreign labour. Among the many suggestions are: Britain should reduce hef armed forces, employ more women in iridustfy, cut the civil service, and comb out unproductive workers — for instarice the 300,000 to 400,000 people engaged in the betting "industry." _ At -tlie momeiit this disciission on manpower threatens to produce two major disputes. One is a demand that the Conseription Bill diie to be introduced'into Parliament in about six weeks time, should be rejected. This is reported to be the subject oi another "rebel" moveinent in the Labour Partv and some 40 Socialist Commoners are tlireatening to revolt against the Bill. 7'he other is a eontroversy over the advisabilitv of securing labour from foreign countries. It has already been announced by Hon. G. A. Isaaes, Minister of Labour, that Poles are to be emploved in British industry and that 42,000 have -tluisfar been registered and 2100 placed in civilian eniplovment. Rir Stafford Cripps is to be asked by tlie Master Cotton Spinners' Federation to allow the large i scale use of foreign workers in the Laneashire mills. | Though there seems to be a measure of support fo'r the use of foreign workevts, the trade unions are by n b xneans v/edded to the idea aiid the employment of Poles was agreed to only after protracted hesitation. Most of the oi)- . . jection seems to come from thfe ! extreine Left. | The Communist Daily Worlcer has asked wlio are the foreigners it is proposed to introduce, adding that "with the exception oi .Tews wlio are & speeial ease deserving sympathetic treatment, tlie majority of displaced persons are tlie seum of Europe. " . Meanwhile at least, pending the pub- ' lication of the second White Paper and Parliament, ary debate, Mr. Attlee has indicated that he does not visualise any immediate steps to grapple with the jprolilem of production other than exI hortation on a large scale. But that the nation will expect some clear-cut policy to be announced eventually is cle.ar. Introspection started b}- ths first White Paper certainly has proved stimulating. Whatever tlie reactions abroad, no thinking person irr Britain has any illusions about the situation. America's Reaction As to overseas reactions, aecording : to roports from New York, the Ameri- | can Government is "frankly concerned" about conditious in Britain. ] This is because "the whole long-rahge American concept of Europea'n recovery rested on the assumption that ' Britain wili be able to regain its industrial and eeonomie health to provide a friendly but detinite alternative to : Russian influence." , j It is "also stated' that the news has j "created real dij?Tbnia'tij an.xiety Ah'jd, a-h-atlii&r . sudxlen k'n'd J tiiiiusiii^) offigi i'ediscoverv of Amdrica's seliish i'ntferest in Britain's wellbeing." - I Another by-product ot the White Paper was a recrudescence of the eoalition rumour — that owing to the eeonomie position Mr. Attlee is corrsid[ering the formation of a government of 1 all parties.