LOOKING BACK; THEN AHEAD

Chronicle (Levin), 9 May 1947, Page 3

LOOKING BACK; THEN AHEAD

(Speeial Correspondent).

BRITAIN'S DIFFICULTIES NOT INSUPERABLE

LONDON, May 8. Two years have paased >siiice the people of Britain brouglit out tlieir flags and their bunting and celebrated, on a elear sunny May day, the* end of tlie war 111 Europe. On that day millions' teniporarily forgot the cares of the imuiediate past and doubts of the imniinent future. Today, on the second anniversary of the second military defeat of (iermany, comparatively iittle thought or attention is being given in Britain to that historic event. The people generally are again more concerned with the immediate present and still doubtful future. Two years of peace have brouglit

Britain few of the fruits of victory and she is still surfeited with the inevitable by-products of a long, exhausting war — borderline food supplies, scarcity of goods, housing shortage, inflationary trend, record divorce list, su'rging desire to emigrate, continuing crirne wave, resurgenee of gambling particularly on sport, and industrial unrest and strikes. Few of these things cause surprise for they repeat, though perhaps to a different degree, the postwar trend of the first world war. Where the main differ'ences lie in the two periods following these total wars, are in the facts that Britain is even poorer today as a nation than she was in the early twenties, that for nearly two years she has been embarked on a bloodless social revolution, and that the trend for higher wages and shorter hours is probably stronger. A mood of uncertainty about tlie immediate period ahead still pervades, due niore in a general way to these last three points and their effeets than to other rather more conventional by-pro-ducts of war. The loss of her national wealth- results in the paradox of a goods-hungry country exporting the bulk of those very things her own people need and causes many irritations, often minor in themselves, which yet add. up to national frustration. It causes, too, an economic shadow wliich some prophecy will darken within six to twelve months. Social changes introduced by th'e Labour Government, while giving satisfaction to one section of the community, promot'e doubts and hesitancy in another. Improved conditions, .wages and promises of pensions for many groups of people, have not so far been accOmpanied by a corresponding improvement in efficiency, due both to the reeent physical strain of war and the time taken by exservicemen and women to readjust themselves to civilian life. Britain's greatest test of the shorte: y h

working week has just beghn in her coaiunines, the mainspring of her industrial economy. It is too early yOt to gauge what the U'end will be. * This coming year, following one of the worst winters in giving memory, is crucial for Britain' and the odds are that news of the" country 's progress may show little improvement in the months immediately ahead, may even appear slightly more depressing. Yet though it is perhaps conventional to say so, the longer term outlook for Britain is one of optimism. Though poorer uationally, British industry has lost none of its skill, Britain's scientists still occupy a leading pleace in the world, her engineers are second to none (witness their lead in the development of the jet engine) and in other difections such as the filin world, Britain is making rapid strides. t - Much has been lreard recently of appeals for a rCpetition of the Dunkirk spirit. If these have fallen flat — and generally speaking they have — something more important is slowly occur-

ring in Britain. . As an analogy it might he more accurate to say that Britain, during this past winter, experienced something very similar to an economic Munich. It was after Munich, whatever the rightsl and wrongs of that historic episode, that the British people steeled themselves psychologically to the thought of an approaching war and really hegan their war effort. - The past winter has emphasised to the British people beyond all doubt that economic defeat faces thein unless they launch themselves upon a full peace eft'ort. British people, tolerant and "often slow moving, have never shirked the issues facing them and though many doubts and uncertainties exist today and immediate difficulties ahead are forbidding, black pessimism about Britain's future may" be discounted on the long term view.1 ' Work or "want" is a phrase printed on bill posters today. To this slogan Mr. Attlee added another: "Work for the day is dawning." The light may be grey for some time yet but it will brighten. In some overseas countries there appears to be a feadiness to believe that Britain is"in 'a desperate plight. Thes_e opinions recall periods during the war when condensed reports of the bombing of London caused impressions abroad that the city was entirely laid. waste, so that people who arrived subsequently were surprised \to iind the devastation was not as great as they had imagined. Similar impressions are appa.rently heing caused yby varipus reports of Britain's economic position today yet the visitor still finds the average person here living ontwardly a normal life. It is true that Britain is being subjected to another unpleasant type of seige hut while the difficulties range over a wide field, the country iS neither down nor out any more than it was during the blitz. The difficulties are not insuperr ablSc __ u