The Wilmington morning star., 1945-07-27
AdiOs Churchill

Winston Churchill who proclaimed the
blood and sweat and tears policy for Great
Britain when it seemed that Hitler was to
rule all Europe, who organized the most
astounding fleet ever to cross the Channel
for the withdrawal from Dunkerque, and di-
rected Rritains war program, with the same
sort of dctatoral authority used by Presi-
dent Roosevelt in this country, until the Ger
mans were defeated went down to defeat
himself in the recent election.
His Conservative party was outvoted by the
Labor party in the contest for House OF Com
mons seats and by British parliamentary pro-
cedure, the party having the majority OF men,
bers in Commons names its leader as Prime
Minister, the Kings approval being merely
a routine matter.
1t goes without saying that Clement Attlee'
the labor chief, will succeed Mr.. Churchhlll,
The change will have little effect upon the
British attitude toward the war in the Paclt
or the peace that is to follow Japan's defeat.
During their campaign both Mr.. Churchill and
Mr.. Attlee made the same pledges In effect,
the only difference being their separate gift
eS,iANA A'>>'
Attlee with him to Potsdam, where he sat
in as an interested spectator, that when
the Big Three conference is resumed he, as
Britains new member, will have working
knowledge Of what has transpired.
The Churchill administration has been out
standing. The man himself would make any
thing with VIII oh he was connected outstand
in debate particularly appealing in public ad
dresses, social and for the most part kindly
he came to the British Premiership at time
when the war was all but lost, and instllleo
new spirit and courage into the people. Ar
indefatigabe worker and not without talent
in planning campaigns, he found friend In
President Roosevelt. These two unitedly exer-
cised the dominant influence upon the war
policy of the Allied nations
If his defeat can be ascribed to single
cause it is probably that he was too domlneer-
ing, too confident in the rightness Of his own
judgment, too unwilling to take his advisers,
among whom Attlee was numbered, into his
confidence, too anxious to be, as we uncouth
Americans say, 1.-The whole show Preslden,
Roosevelt would have gone down in defeat
for the same reasons in the first national
election following victory.
AS noted, the change in government will
have little to do with the part Britain is te
play in the closing phases of the Japanese
war; But when this war is ended, when the
world starts on the long difficult path te
peace, the change will be marked in Britain's
domestic affairs.
Attlee's election victory is clear proof thai
Britain is well left of center A social revolt
ton has been underway both in the British
Isles and tho entire Empire throughout the
war years How far Attlee will carry Britain
toward outright socialism can only be sur
missed But we may safely believe that the
caste system which has been vigorously up
held against labor's encroachmert by the con
servatives under the Churchill leadership ant
for centuries before, will suffer a severe
shock.
Britain, which has been the apostle of
world commonwealth of nations appears des
tined to become a commonwealth of the com
mon man.