Evening star., 1940-02-01
Chamberlain Rejects
Economic Dictator
Suggestion
Position Wouldn't Leove
Anything for Him to Do,
Prime Minister Says
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press. ~.
LONDON, Feb. Prime Min
lister Chamberlain In the House OF
Commons today rejected an opposi-
ton demand that he include an
economic dictator" in his war cab
met.
Replying to a motion by Laborite
Herbert Morrison for such a change
"a subject Of sharp political con-
troversy-the Prime Minister as
serted:
1T seems to me the existence of
a minister who would be the die
tator over all (economic) depart
ments the right honorable member
described would change the posi-
ton of the Prime Minister and I
do not see what the Prime Min
lister would have left to do by the
time this gentleman had given his
orders to all departments"
Laborites contended that organ
ization of the vital economic phase
of the struggle had Jagged behind
the rest of the country's war effort.
Support for the cabinet change
cut across all party lines with the
even strongly pro-government Lon
don Times joining in the chorus
calling for correction Of what it
called inadequate representation" Of
the economic side in the war cabinet.
Two More Slips Lost.
On the physical side of the war,
the latest reported British losses
credited to torpedoes and bombs
were the 5,063-ton steamer Vaclite
and the 1,178-ton steamer High
wave. the former torpedoed in con-
voy and the latter bombed of the
British coast.
The announcement of the loss Of
the Vaclite followed disclosure by
Prime Minister Chamberlain yester-
day that the attacking submarine
had been sunk by British planes
and warships. The Vaclites crew
was picked up by an Italian ship.
The entire crew of 18 of the High
wave reached Flushing, the Neither
lands, last night, two of them
wounded by machine-gun fire. They
told how German plane dropped
20 bombs at their ship Monday be-
fore a direct hit sent her under.
Apparently also lost was the 1884
ton British steamer Royal Crown
with IL of her crew. Fifteen men
who abandoned the ship Tuesday in
the North Sea when a bomb struck
amidships reached the British coast
in a lifeboat yesterday. A second
lifeboat was missing.
They said German plane first
machine -gunned the decks, killing
the ships anti-aircraft gunner be-
fore he could get into action. -Four
members of the crew were killed
outright and eight others were
drowned.
A Labor motion presented by Her
bert Morrison called for inclusion in
the war cabinet of a. minister
charged specifically with planning
to the best advantage the resources
of the nation for successful presecu-
| ton OF the war ana 1Or meetlng the
requirements of the civilian popula-
ton"
Britain already has a minister Of
economic warfare but he is not q
member of the war cabinet. He l.
| Ronald Hilbert Cross and his job Il
the same as that Of the minister o1
blockade in the last war. Cross mair
work is breaking down Germany's
trade.
With Mr.. Chamberlain resisting
change in what labor called th'
''topsy turvy structure of economic
administration, the government
sought to keep its supporters in lint
with the assurance that this fielc
was not being neglected and tina
the proposed revision of the system