MR. BEVAN HITS OUT HARD AT MR. CHURCHILL

Chronicle (Levin), 30 September 1949, Page 5

MR. BEVAN HITS OUT HARD AT MR. CHURCHILL

LONDON, Sept. 29. '■ The Minister of Health, Mr. Aneurin Bevih, opened the third and final day of the devaluation debate in a crowded House of Commons today with a bitter personal attaek on the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Churchill. Mr. Bevan began by attacking "newspaper statements by Mr. Churchill which purport to show that the British people are undernourished, fatigued and almost down and out." He said "I welcome this opportunity of pricking the bloated bladder of lies. with the poniard of truth." * Brought To His Feet. i This brought Mr. Churchill to j his feet, protesting to the Speaker against the use of the word lies. The Speaker: I thought Mr". Bevan Was quoting a quotation. Mr. Bevan said that the last favourable balance of payments enjoyed by Britain was in 1935. "In olher words, we inherited a bankrupt nation. The real financial situation which the nation had reached under successive Conservative Governments was masked by the semi-starvalion of millions of British people. The Conservative Governments of that day perpetuated themselves on the hasis of keping 2,000,009 people out of work." The Labour Government managed by the last half of 1948, for the first, time shice 1935, to show j a favourabie balance of £30,000,000 1 continued Mr. Bevan. This was a "complete rebuttal of fiatmp-nt generalities • of yesterday's speeches." Britain's Record. Mr. Bevan quoted figures to show that Britain had the best record amcng a number of European countries in reducing imports, increasing exports, reducing her dependence upon dollar countries and in output per man. "The British people, in the last four years, have managed to extricate themselves from their difficu.ties more successfully tlian any other nation." There , were loud Government cheers as Mr. Bevan accused Mr. Churchill of "distorting the facts of the British recovery for narrow party purposes," and asked, "Doesn't he realise the damage he is doin°'?" Mr. Churchill sat back with his eyes closed, paying little attention to Mr. Bevan's personal attack.