Evening star., 1942-08-05
BY DREW MIDDLETON,
WIDE World.

LONDON, Aug. 5.-There are a
lot Of people "agin the government
in this country but very few against
Winston Churchill.
There are many people angered
at the long succession of disasters
in his two years of stewardship
but very few who hold him respon-
sible.
There is solid anger against
the civil service and petty official
dom and bitterness that men OF
Munich still remain in the govern
ment run by Prime Minister
Churchill.
An experienced English politician
told me the prestige of the House
of Commons is lower in the coun.
try today than at any time since
before the last war, and hastily
added that's not Winstons fault
Winston Churchill is esteemed by
his countrymen. He holds a higher
place than any Englishman since
Nelson. The average Englishman
sees In Winnie all the qualitie.
he would like to have himself-the
personal courage. the fiamboyance
the most English appearance and
the most un-English love of the un-
orthodox
Criticism of Aides.
All these, plus the warm memory
of the great speeches during Brit
aims finest hour" bind them to
him now. Yet 1 found In many
mems speech indications that al
though "Winnie's all right" there
was something wrong with the gov
ernment of England.
The main criticism of Mr.. Church
i'll himself Is that his government
still retains Lord Halifax, Sir John
Simon, Sir Samuel Hoare, Sir Kings
ley Wood in his government as well
as a dozen lesser figures.
Mr.. Churchill's assumption of the
leadership of the Conservative party
which raised great howl on the
left in London, made little difference
to the people spoke to around the
country.
A point that cannot be stressed
too often is that the great mass of
young people, the men and women
who are fighting the war or making
its weapons. never have voted in a
general election and party lines
mean nothing to them. (Ihere
hasn't been a general election since
1880
"We thought we'd got rid Of that
bunch when Churchill came in," said
a little man who makes shells in the
Midlands.
But they're still there, Wood as
chancellor Of the exchequer. Hall
fax in Washington. Hoare In Madrid.
They were part and parcel of ap-
peasement. How much do y sup
pose Halifax represents the people
who're fighting this war?
Civil Service Condemned.
why, that's the lot that told us
We were armed when we weren't
and all the rest of It, Used to be a
Conservative myself, but no more. I
suppose Winston had to go in with
EN-, but wish he hadn't"
The civil service and the petty
ofhcials nurtured by the new war
time ministries are bitterly con-
demned. People everywhere feel
that the civil service is vast bomb
proof shelter into which men who
know the right people" escape to
soft jobs for the duration.
A coal shipper from Grimsby, a
man Of substance, said:
They've rotted the core of gov
ernment. They're afraid to take
responsibility themselves and they
try to stop any one else who at
tempts it. You can't make a de-
cision in the civil service unless you
chew 1t over for a month. Those
damned midwives would have gen.
erals in the field do the same thing. ~
The mounting tide of paper which
has accompanied the rationing OF
food, clothing. soap and other prod
ucts Is driving small shopkeepers
mad. A butcher from Crewe com
planned bitterly he had 80 damned
many forms to fill out that my work
begins when I close my shop"
From conversations I heard in
Grimsby, Liverpool, Sheffield Birm-
ingham, on trains and buses, in pubs
and restaurants, on tour of Eng
land, it Is evident there is gull
between many voters and the House
OF Commons. This may account fol-
the retention of the politicians OF
the Munich era in the government
Have Lost Touch.
You get strong impression after
talking with the people and then