General Sympathy For Mr. Attlee

Chronicle (Levin), 11 September 1948, Page 6

General Sympathy For Mr. Attlee

Received 1'riclay, 8.50 p.m. IjGNuon, sepc. 10. General sympaiuy is ueing expressed for Mr. Attiee, wfio v/eiic to bt. Mary's nospital, jseAaiii&toii, three weexs ago wmi ec/em'a or tno feet and is now stated to iiave ueeii sulxering from an early auodeiicU uicer. it is oftserved tnat he is tne?1 third Party leader to sufter in the past three years from what is essentially an illness resulting from overstrain and" overwork'. ■' Mr. Herbert Morrison had to. take a rest two yearS -ago followiilg an attack of thrombosls, and.Mr. Ernest Bevin also had to rest from tinie to time owing to overwork. All these three senior • Ministers have held office without a. "break since 1940 and have been under considerable strain. It is stated that Mr. Morrison as Deputy Prime Minist'er will carry on most of Mr. Attlee 's duties in the Commons and may from time to time preside over Cabinet meetings while Mr. Attlee is undergoing dietetic treatment. Mr. Attlee is not idle in hospital, however, and he continues to receive essential paper?. He has five private secretaries who are weeding down files to a minimum. Tribute is paid to Mr. Attlee by the NewsChronicle. In a leader it says he has .been the most self-effacing Prime Minister since Mr. Campbell; Bannerman. Though there was rj tendency when he took office to re-

gard him as a colourless compromise between powerful personalities who had little love for one another, he has grown in stature with responsibility. "He now possesses command over the Labour Party and an authority in the Commons that few of his friends would have believed conceivable three years ago. His modestv, dignity and firmness durinsthe ordeals of the postwar neriofi have won the re^pect of h^u nnpficat opponents. There is no doubt that. his jn.disoosition hn q been the resn.it. of tbe strain eivht testinv vears of office. Withont distinct.ion of rmrtv the country will wish the Prime Minister a speedy and complete recoverv." A. TVmter m.e^sa.fre sw^s Mr. yvt.tioo lo-ft the ho^njtnl to nreside ovor f Cnhinet meeting at No. 10 Dovming Street.