Evening star., 1940-05-22
Commons Enucts
Emergency Bill
With Speed

LONDON, May 22.-Britain's
Parliament tonight invested the
government with dictatorial powers
to conscript labor and wealth to
, strengthen the nations shield
against German invasion.
! Within three hours the House Of
Commons and the House of Lords
passed and King George approved
a bill giving Winston Churchill's
government unprecedented, sweep
ling war emergency powers de-
manded '.in view Of the grave peril
in which the nation stands today"
1t armed the cabinet with admin
istrative weapons similar in EN-
cheney and scope to those Of Brit
aims authoritarian enemy.
An order in council, prepared
even before the parliamentary pro-
cess got under way, gave immedi-
ate effect to the law.
1t sets up controls under the min
listers covering, chiefly, labor, bank
ing, agriculture, transport, mining
war industries and export trade in
dustries.
Labor to Be Drafted.
The war material and export in
dustries will be given absolute pri-
ority and labor will be drafted as
required to the more essential in
dustries. A 100 per cent excess
profits tax was provided.
Arthur Greenwood, Laborite min
lister without portfolio and head Of
the Productions Council, summoned
the Munitions Board Immediately.
Supply Minister Herbert Morrison
ordered all ordnance factories to
work full time seven days a week
until further notice. Most fac
tories now are working two 12-hour
shifts.
All-powerful production councils
will be set up to speed supplies Of
munitions, ships, aircraft, farm pro-
duce and minerals.
Clement r. Attlee, Prime Minis
ter Churchill's lieutenant in the
House, who called for the virtual
dictatorship" declared he wanted
the munitions boards to get on the
job" tonight.
Swift Transition.
The new measure carries forward
a swift transition from democracy
to semi-dictatorship which began
before Britain went to war.
Military conscription was intro
duced hastily in the days just pre-
ceding that fateful Sunday, Sentem-
Der 3, and since then there I've
been measures restricting profits,
limiting individuals actions and
controlling investments, all paving
the way to today's complete subjec-
tion of the nation to the one idea
of victory.
Mr.. Attlee assured the House that
the power conferred by the bill was
great enough so that if Parliament
could not meet because of a German
invasion or some other reason the
cabinet could govern unhampered by
lack of legislation.
"No Distinction"
Mr.. Attlee said there even might be
cases where firms would be closed
and others where property would be
destroyed.
All munitions factories will imme-
diately be placed under government
control.
Parliament proudly and speedily
enacted the bill amid appeals to
show Adolf Hitler it was an effi-
cient instrument of war.
Mr.. Attlee told the House that
"there should be no distinction be-
tween rich and poor and all should
be willing to perform services or
give up property, and those who
were recalcitrant came into precise
ly the same category
The granting of dictatorial powers
to the government, Mr.. Attlee said,
did not mean that today or tomor-
row everybody would be given or
ders to do this or that, nor did it
mean that from tomorrow every
form of wealth would be taken, but
the power would be exercised when
ever it was necessary in the interest
of the Nations safety. =
Will Make Resources Effective.
Mr.. Attlee, lord privy seal and
member Of the inner war cabinet,
(see POWERS, Page A-S)