Evening star., 1947-09-03
Beviin AsksU.S ).
ToRedistribute
Fort Knox Gold
Called Ready Way
To Ruise Purchase
Power of War Areas
By the Associated Press

OoO 1 T1FoC E1lSldIlQ, OcpG. D.
Foreign Secretary Bevin called
on the United States today to
redistribute "the Fort Knox
gold'' to eliminate constant chaos
in world trade payments.
II am quite sure that is one OF
the readiest ways to assist in in
creasing the purchasing power of
the devastated areas of the world
he declared in a speech to the
powerful British Trades Union Con-
gress.
(The United States now owns
over s21 ,765 1927 900 worth of gold,
about three-fifths of the known
world holdings of gold for none
tary purposes. Approximately
S12,500,000,0O0 is kept at Fort
Knox, Army stronghold in Ken
lucky. These figures do not in
clude commercial gold such as
that used in jewelry.)
Mr.. Bevin did not explain whether
he was speaking literally or SYM
bolically in proposing redistribution
of the gold. Nor did he indicate
whether he believed the idea could
be integrated with the Marshall
proposal for Europe's economic re-
habilitation.
Mr.. Bevin asked for a pledge from
the union workers to fight a battle
of production against starvation as
the governments method of COM
batting Britain's economic crisis.
Seeks Customs Union.
He announced a personal decision
to seek customs union for the
British Empire and Commonwealth.
He said the cabinet had not reached
a decision.
II do not think we can avoid any
longer common defense and the ac-
ceptance of certain common eco
nomic principles if we are to avoid
these constant recurring crises"
I'VE have got to settle this bal
ance-of- payments business in the
world or it will be constant chaos" "
Mr.. Bevin said.
There are ways of settling it. I
know these Americans will be upset,
but I have got to upset somebody.
My own conviction is that she ham
dicapped herself and caused high
taxation in her own country by
failure to redistribute the Fort Knox
gold.
IF you find another gold mine in
the world it would assist you-it
would be a great advantage-but
there is gold which had already
been mined and it is doing nothing.
Il am quite sure that is one of
the readiest ways to assist in in
creasing the purchasing power of
the devastated areas of the world"
(Acting Secretary of State
Lovett today refused to comment
on Mr.. Beyin's suggestionD
Workers Get Warning.
On the domestic front, Mr.. Bevin
served notice to the nations 20,0OO,-
900 workers that the Labor govern
ment would use get tough" policy
to spur production.
Britain's dollar crisis, he said, will
continue for another two years, dur
ing which 1--WE must get production" :"
1--WE can't play down to your
foibles, to your petty, restrictions, -
he warned. I'VE must ask the ex-
ecutive (of the TUC) to remove
them ALL"
II want to go through June of
next year with a tremendous in
crease of coal, of steel and every
thing"
Mr.. Bevin said that "for the two
years I have been Foreign Secre-
tary, I have not had one single
vote of credit in the House of Com
mons to assist in the rehabilita-
ton work for overseas" adding:
Mr.. Churchill said in the war,
Give me the tools, and I will win
the war" I say, in peace, Give
me the tools of production and
the full results, and we will change
the foreign policy of Europe"
Mr.. Bevin talked more than an
hour.
He welcomed the Russian rati-
hcation of satellite peace treaties.
He declared again that the door
was open to Russia to join the
Anglo-American economic fusion in
Germany. He said the Security
Council of the United Nations had
become propaganda show.
Mr.. Bevin said he was accused of
tying Britain to the United States
and protested:
MY God, I am here this morning
to appeal to you to fight for our in
dependence in the workshop. Who
can accuse me of wanting to be sub
ServienG to the East or West?"
Mr.. Bevin said he reluctantly sup
ported the $3,750,000 900 loan from
the United States because he be-
l1eved 1t would give us until 1949."
"Our calculations were wrong and,
(See BEVIN. Page A-41