Evening star., 1944-05-07
highlands First Postwar Aim Is Recovery

in the worlds economy. British
trade cannot thrive when Ameri-
can business is depressed.
One more question may be asked.
What specific plans, what kind of
approach are being made in Britain
te the problem of maintaining full
employment when the time comes
TO demobilize her war industries?
Mr.. Churchill, in a broadcast
speech in March, 1943, advocated
what he called a British four-year
plan, which would cover five or six
large measures of practical
character which must all have been
the subject of prolonged, energetic
preparation beforehand and which
Mt together into general scheme. +"
Mr.. Churchill referred to the vast
pent-up purchasing power repre-
sented by the wartime savings of
the British people. There have
never been SO many families with
a substantial reserve to their Credit
as there are now.
Wants Values Maintained.
In fairness to those who had
saved, the Prime Minister EN-
phasized that over a period of 10
or Is years values must be steadily
maintained. Imitation, which is
Delng fought with such success dur
Ing the war, must be fought with
equal success during the reconstruct
tlon period. He also referred to the
projected reorganization of our
pulldlng industry, and to the far
reaching schemes on foot for re-
planning our cities and towns and
Tor improving and invigoratinp
rural life. Chambers of commerce
and the Trades Union Congress, in
conjunction with government de-
partments, are at present studying
the outlook for postwar activity with
a view to drawing up a compre-
henslve plan of national develop
ment. There is an immense amount
OF work to be done not merely to
make good the ravages of war, but
TO scrap old-fashioned methods and
equipment. With the new sense OF
commence and purpose which the
war mas aroused l am sure that the
task OF reconstruction will be
tackled with energy and success.
The sort of system under which
Britain will operate after the wal
sometimes puzzles American OBJ.
servers. 1t is generally agreed that
taxation, though not on a wartime
level, will probably remain heavy
after the war in order to finance
the social services, including. the
new plan for expanding the educa-
tlonal opportunities of the people
But that does not mean that private
initiative and enterprise are doomed
AS Mr.. Churchill put it, I'VE mus
beware of trying to build a society
IN which nobody counts for anv.
thlng except the politician or an off.
clal, a society where enterprise
gains no reward and thrift nc
privileges. Wherever private in.
ltiative and competition are clearl,
preferable TO other forms of opera
ton, they will have ample scope
| tAA"' NoVS ilot chCluQS OuOll(
enterprise, where it can yield better
results.
l believe it is fair to say thai
people in Britain are not weddee
to any particular economic dogma
In each case they will look for thu
formula which in practice will work
best Tor the greatest benefit to thu
community. AS one of our ieadine
lnoustriallsts recently expressed it
II private enterprise is to solve
britain's postwar problems, it will
have to be less private and more
enterprising than before the war.
On the basis Of wartime experience
there is good reason to believe thai
1t will be. Industrial invention anc
research have made great progres.
and equally there has been a great
advance in the sphere Of industria
relations, personnel management,