AMERICAN INTEREST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26629, 27 November 1947, Page 5

AMERICAN INTEREST

BY-ELECTION IN BRITAIN MAJOR TEST OF POLITICAL OPINION N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent LONDON, Nov. 25. The nation-wide interest which is being taken in Britain in the Gravesend by-election is x - efiected in the United States where reports indicate that the poll is widely regarded as the most important test of political opinion since the General Election. As an indication of this American interest the 8.8. C. has made arrangements for" a special broadcast to America immediately after the Gravesend result is announced. . This is expected in the early hours of Thursday morning. ' There are many indications that the Government is also attaching unusual importance to the result. The latest of these is the announcement that both Mr Herbert Morrison and Mr John Strachey will speak in support of Sir Richard Acland at Gravesend to-day. This is a breach of the tradition that no Minister of Cabinet rank should take part in a by-election campaign.

The Conservatives fired their main broadside last night when Mr Anthony Eden outlined the Conservative programme under the following six main heads:— (1) Wise, far-seeing, and courageous leadership. (2) Immediate steps to stop inflation. (3) Development of Britain’s Imperial heritage. (4) An intensified drive to increase production. (5) An intensive development of British agriculture. (6) No more nationalisation. Mr Churchill, in a statement to the Conservative candidate, Mr Frank Taylor, rebutted the charge made during the by-election that he was responsible for austerity by allowing the Americans to terminate lease-lend at the end of the war. Mr Churchill said that had he remained in power he was certain he could have persuaded president Truman to continue leaselend. The people who voted Labour in and put the Conservatives out of office were really responsible for its premature termination. * One aspect of the campaign, which is being generally commended, is the refusal of the Conservative candidate to make electioneering capital out of Mr Garry Allighan’s expulsion (the cause of the by-election). Betting in the constituency is al present 6 to 4 in favour of a Conservative victory, but many observei's consider the odds will narrow to evens by the day of the poll.