Sign That Britain's Economies Must Be Ruthless To Prove Effective

Chronicle (Levin), 20 October 1949, Page 5

Sign That Britain's Economies Must Be Ruthless To Prove Effective

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Reuter .

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JT Received Thursday, 9.55 a.m. ' LONDON, October 19. Members of Cabinet's Economic Committee, which has been drawing up the new measures to cut expenditure, met the Defence Committee and Chiefs of Stalf at Ino. 10 Downing Street this afternoon. Reuter's political correspondent says the possibility that the British Government may be plaiming considerable defence ,cuts was indieated by this hurriediy-calied meeting. 1 Those present were the Prime department— including the armed Minister, Mr. Attlee, the Chancel- forces— would be affected.

lor of the Exchequer, Sir Stafford Cripps, the Minister of Defence, Mr. A. V. Alexander, the Fir,st Lord of the Admiralty, Viscount Hall, the Minister of War, Mr. E. Shinwell, and the Air Minister, Mr. Arthur Henderson. Also ealled to the meeting was Mr. George Strauss, who, as Minister of Supply, • is responsible for Britain's atomic • research. | The total defence costs in this year's estimates were £759,000,000 — an average of about £15 per head ; of population. If the Government . decides to cut defence costs, it would be widely interpreted as showing how ruthless it considers the present eeonomy slash must be to prove effective. j This afternoon's meeting followed a secret meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, which is be- . lieved to have strongly pressed the ■ leaders to include cuts in defence expenditure and the administration of nationalised industries in the proposed economic programme. Members left the party meeting with the impression that the new eeonomy measures would be sweeping, and that every Government