BRITAIN WAKING UP

Chronicle (Levin), 6 March 1948, Page 5

BRITAIN WAKING UP

(N.Z-P.A.-

—Reuter.

People Stirred To Menace Of Communism

CoDjjriaht)

Received Fnday, 7 p.m.. LONDON, March 4. In tffe last ten days tliere has oc cm'red in Britain one of the mosi. not, able changes in' public opinion during the lasc ten years. This suddeu jiwuge has been brought ahout chieti, oy events in 'CzechosiovaKia. Com munism is now heid in much the sanw detestation as the British people vieweu Naaism, and Russia is regarded in the same light as Germany was before thc war. No longer is it possible to comment on the different attitudes in Britain and America towards Russia and Commun •.sm as it was only a few weeks ago. it is no longer possible to suggest that lear of the "Red menace" is more evi dent across the Atlantic than in this country. Tlie British people have been stirred as tliey were in the fateful days oi' .\iunieh but while tliere .ire inany -•iipilarities to be noted — -even to th. extent of the Dailv Fxpress implyiu.-, that tliings are not as bad as thev ma. eem — tliere are also sharp differeii'-e-i iietw.een the- two situations. Then Bi'itain looked to Franee as a leading militury 1'ower, she had incipient iv.annaiuent, soon to develop into a drive, and she had no pronouncod potential lif'th colunin. Today Britain certainly does not Iona to France as a lirst-class military Power and her hopes of a Westeru I'nion. ihougli vitallv coneerned with the aspect of defence, are coneentrated equally on ecouomie and political integra tion. Today tliere is, at present, no ihought — or perhaps vorv little inten ;ion — of a rearniament drive, and Biitain looks lo Aineriea for econoniic. aid and military assistance more th'in over before. Today, while eoinbating tiro menace to freedom on tlie Continen' Britain has also to look back over lier •lioulder to inlluential lif tli-eolumnist •ells, the strong Comiuunistic intiuence in her trade unions, an'd hence her in ] -lust ry," on wliieh iier war polential 1 -ests. Anti-Communist Pight This preoecupation with Coninuinisi infiltrafion is of cour.se no new thing Lind al ready efi'orts have been made — largely unavailing up to the presen: jiime — to clieck and weaken it. From | now on this light against Communism in Britain. for that is wliat is is, will be intensiiLed and will prooeed side li* side with efforts to build a strong Western Fnion. (Jovernment spokesnien have alreadv |inveigh(Ml against the Coinmunists, the jlatest of them being Alr. Hector AlcNei I. j tnd leadiug trade unionisls have ut jtered their wainings. But so!ifaf tlipj | British Coniniunist I'arty, w'ith its j 17,000 nieinbers, and tlie 100,000 people i wlio voted Coiuniunist in the last |el"elion, ha\e uot had their wings ! elipped. The C'uiimn'nists r.'iiia'in j>ow( r- ! >'ul in tlie trade unions, niost powerful j of n 1 1 i u tiie engineering and shipIniilding industries, with strong rejire UMitation on the union exeeutives. Now that the ant i-Coniinunisl offeu sive launehed by Alr. Philiip Alorgan. seerelary of the I.aoonr I'arty, has ■ ill intents and puqmses t'ailed, sonm forin of new ]irognintnte is being- dis eussed. But though tlie Labour I'arty is well aware of the threat t'p'seeurity presented by tlie Communist liflii column, it is not easy in a deuiocratie •ou n t rv to adopt strong-arm measures .Lgainsl anolhor political party, even Ihougli that party, if it secured power. would effectively wipe out all opposi l ion. Job for Trade TJnionists Though tliere is talk of ''purges'', ii a-eiiis likely at the inoinent that the job if curliing tlie Communi.st intiuence wih i'all to tlie trade unionists themselves •and that the Labour Party may waii jntil its annual conference at Whitsun before indieating anv further aetion 'oiiimuiiist intiuence is not- e.onlined b. the trade unions, of course, for tlie Labour I'arty itself has its ijuota oi "fellow-travellers" and tliere havi bpen suggest ions of diseipligarv aetion Just how strong the (Iovernuient lead ers teol about their Coiimuinisj^. * .'iidoctrin.ated incnibers was iiidirated wlien Alr. Lrnest Bevin trounced tlie New Zealamler. Alr. J. F. Platts-ATil Is in Ihe ITouse of Comnions. Alr. J'latfs ■Mills had asked a question about tli" past polit ical uih'liations of Al ri W. K. I D. Alfen, I'ress attaclie at the British iMiibassy at Ankara. Alr. Bevin refilied: f uuderstand ihat this man, -for whose appointnient 1 accept the full responsi liilitv, owes no allegiance to anv other country. ' ' "One has uot seen Mr. Bevin sc angry for a long time," said the Manchester Guardian. "His papers shook in his hand, ar.d lie flung himself back into his seat. His retort drew a burst of cheers as searing as a sheet of flame."-