The Wilmington morning star., 1943-06-17
Bv RAYMOND CLAPPER

LONDON.-(by wireless)-Great
Britain's future course is bound
to be influenced to no small degree
by decisions to be made at the
British LaFcr Party's conference
this week
The Labor Party will vote to con-
tinue the political truce which has
prevailed during the war. But the
policies of the Labor Party must
be assimil'ted partially by Church
in's national government, as he in
dicated was happening in his radio
address on postwar social security
several weeks ago. Churchill is
believed to kave selected Anthony
Eden as his heir, but the Labor
Party's leadership will have deep
influence on British policy.
The party is expected this week
to select as its treasurer Herbert
Morrison, the Home Minister. The
treasurer is the party's most I'M
portant official controlling enor-
nous funds and party patronage.
In America couple of years ago
people expected that Labor Min
lister Ernest Bevin would be the
big labor man of the future in
Britain. Morrison is now assum-
ing that prospective status. He is
Socialist who built a strong po-
litical machine in London some
years ago and rode into party
leadership and into the government
through that.
1 saw Morrison when I was here
two years ago, when he was re-
organizing home afraid protection
and setting up the fire-watching
system. His handling of affairs on
the home front has strengthened
his position. Now his influence in
the government is likely to expand
il the Labor Party elevates him
to treasurer
Morrison is inclined to give a
stronger flavor of specialization to
the party program than some 9TH
ers who are primarily trade-union-
lists. Yet he is not a doctrinarie
intellectual but hardheaded,
working-class Socialist.
Morrison insists on placing war
and postwar questions ahead of
internal questions. He says home
affairs have been wrecked twice
in the last generation by interna-
tiona1 explosions. He says Britain's
hme life is at the mercy of great
unclaimed forces in the interna-
tional sphere which will continue
to wreck domestic plans so long
as they remain uncontrolled. Only
after the Labor Party has faced
this, and determined to throw all
its weight on the side of sanity and
generosity in the world sphere. can
the party devote itself usefully to
questions of home policy, in his
Judgment.
Morrison is not obsessed by a
narrow conception of social securi-
ty, which some reduce to a for
mula of bigger and better doles.
he conceives Of social security as
meaning full employment
and productive jobs. He believes
Britain must get away from pri-
vate monopoly restrictions on pro-
ouctlon and trade, d achieve
more socialization in industry
though not complete specialization.
as ne believes m a y industries
would be better left under the spur
o1 free competition.
The Labor Party's executive
committee is reporting to the con-
ference a program calling for dis
ar1nlng the Axis, and for mainte-
nance of peace by the four bio
powers until they can establish a
world political authority which
would be the armed guardian of
International peace, also an agency
lor consultation and decision m
sITat , issues arising among nations
The report calls for nurnero,,s
oeher international AGENCIES close