FOR A GOVERNMENT FREE TO ACT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 86, 8 October 1931, Page 13

FOR A GOVERNMENT FREE TO ACT

MACDONALD'S APPEAL TO NATION

TIMES DEMAND UNLIMITED MANDATE POLICY OF REHABILITATING BRITAIN PROGRAMME OF DETAIL IMPOSSIBLE (British Official Wireless.) (Received Bth October, 11 a.m.)' ' RUGBY, 7th October. At the beginning of the election campaign in Britain the Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, has issued an "Appeal to the Nation" as follows: — "The present National Government was formed in haste to meet a swiftly approaching crisis. It stopped borrowing, imposed economy, and balanced the Budget. World conditions and internal financial weakness, however, made it impossible for the Government to achieve its immediate object. Sterling came off gold and the country must now go through a period of recovery and readjustment, during which steps of the utmost importance, nationally and internationally, must be taken to secure stability and avoid a recurrence of the recent troubles. EXCEPTIONAL URGENCY AND CONDITIONS "A monetary policy which, will establish sterling in confidence and authority, international agreements which will remove some of the most frightful causes of economic misfortunes—-like war debts and reparations—from which the whole world now suffers so grievously, plans to change any adverse into a favourable balance of trade, will have to be set going without delay. In the background of this work and studied at every point in connection with it must be the question of unemployment, especially in its most important aspect of finding work by the expansion of markets bothat home and abroad. "The Government will have to come to grips with a, great variety of problems and apply in confidence of general national support its decisions regarding them. These are times of exceptional urgency and exceptional conditions which demand exceptional treatment. - FREE TO CONSIDER ANY PROPOSAL "As it is impossible to foresee, in the changing conditions of 10-day, what may arise, no one can set out a programme of detail on which specific pledges can be given. The Government must therefore be free to consider every proposal likely to help, such as tariffs, expansion of exports and contraction of imports, commercial treaties and mutual economic arrangements with the Dominions. It must teach how the devaluation of money and the economies which had to be made to balance the Budget affect the lives of our people and take every step which can be made effective to protect them against exploitation. It must, be made plain, however, that, whilst everything possible will be done to meet hardship, the Budget must not be allowed to slip into deficits. The possibility of Home and Imperial development in all its aspects must be studied, and the Government is to be comprehensively national and not sectional in the obligations which it is to keep before it. NEW SPIRIT OF ENERGY AND HOPE "In these days of transition and uncertainty we must all pull together and by our co-operation now strive to put a new spirit of energy and hope into our people. Whilst our present conditions last, these things, cannot be done by political parties fighting partisan battles on platforms and in Parliament. But they must not involve a loss of political identity, because the immediate tasks are temporary and, when they are finished, will be followed by normal political activities. "They do mean, however, willing co-operation between all political parties acting together through their representatives and shouldering joint responsibility for discussion, examination, arid action. National unity through co-operaton of parties—all parties by preference, if that were possible—is as essential now as it was in August. In August a combination had to be improvised hurriedly both as regards the Government and its supporting parties and groups in Parliament. SUPPORT BEYOND SHADOW OF DOUBT "Now with these prospects before us and so many world indications of uncertainty still threatening, it is essential that the nation's support of the Government policy should be placed beyond a shadow of a doubt. Parliament has to be endowed with fresh life and mandates. So an election is unavoidable. The working of Parliamentary , institutions, of democratic responsibility, and of constitutional practice demands it. "The election, of the result of which there must be no uncertainty, is also necessary to demonstrate to the whole world the determination of the British people to stand by each other in times: of national difficulty, and support any, measures required for placing themselves and their credit in an unassailable position. That is the basis of every security which our people have. TO SEE, MATTER THROUGH "In August we won the admiration of the world by our instant subordination of party politics to national interest. Let us now prove we are determined to see the matter through until we have brought the country out beyond these cloudy days into clearer and more tranquil times."* Manifestoß by other party leaders supporting the National Government—Mr. Stanley Baldwin and Sir Herbert Samuel—are expected to be issued to-morrow or the next day. The first detailed statement regarding Mr. Lloyd George's altitude will probably be contained in his election address to the constituents of Carnarvon.