Evening star., 1947-07-09
British Hint Revival
Offend Lease May Be
Sought Before Fall
BY ths Associated Press

LONDON, July 9.-Parliament
had a hint from the government
today, only three days before the
Paris economic conference, that
renewal of American 1end-lease
before fall might be necessary
to save Britain from unproduc-
tive poverty.
I'VE cannot indefinitely 60 on i'm
porting what we cannot pay fol-"
Deputy Prime Minister Herbert Nor
risen said last night in House of
Commons economic debate. To
bring buying down to ability to pay
he declared, Britain would have to-
cut imports IS per cent and make
great adjustment" in production
and standard of living.
The only remedy =" he said,
lies in devising some means where
by billions of dollars worth of North
and South American production
could be transferred across the At
mediate payment in the form of an
equal and opposite flow of European
goods"
Observers noted the similarity be-
tween this proposal and wartime
lend-lease.
OF London's morning papers, only
the ruling Labor Party's Daily Her
aid refrained from criticizing gov
ernment economic policy. The
Communist Daily Worker said the
policy appears to be to drift until
the. Americans come over with a
form of lend-lease."
Britain now is running into debt
at the rate of f450,000, ,000-about
81 300, ,000, ,0O0-yearly to pay for
food for her people, still on thin
rations, and raw materials for her
industry, slowly recuperating from
the war If she keeps on drawing
at the current rate on her $780,
900 900 American credit, it will be
gone by the end of next winter.
Mr.. Morrison made no direct
mention of the offer of Secretary
of State Marshall by which the
United States would help European
countries provided they organized
for economic recovery This offer
has resulted in a BritishFrench
cali for a 24-nation conference,
scheduled to begin In Paris Satur-
day.
"Time Is Very Short"
The deputy prime minister did
say, however, that Europe's nations
must agree on methods to help
themselves" and that otherwise it
would not be reasonable to expect
the full cooperation of the United
States and other countries from
whom the bulk of the assistance
must be drawn
Time is very short. We cam
not hope for fully comprehensive
agreement before the 18th hour
strikes =" he went on. There
fore. we must go for the best agree
ment we can get before the clock
strikes, as it will strike this autumn"
In commenting on the debate, the
independent Conservative Daily
Mail said that reducing imports 25
per cent would mean hungry people
would be starved of their resources
of manufacture"
I'VE are engaged in a jet pro-
PEELED rake's progress towards bank |
ruptcy and utter ruin," it declared. !
But we cannot keep going to the |
United States for new supplies OF
dollars"
The Mail declared that if Britain
got new dollars under the Marshall
plan, the money must vigorously be
used to put our economy on firm
basis"
Loan Use Disappointing"
The independent conservative
Times said use of the American loan
now being drawn on had been rel
atively disappointing and that
Britain shows little understanding
of the gravity of the crisis or the
threat of a dramatic collapse of
the standard of living, which only
further American help can now
avert"
The conservative Daily Graphic
wondered: How will this playing
with the problem impress American
opinion?"
"A great many Americans said
the conservative Daily Telegraph,
are by no means convinced that
this country is pulling its own
weight"
The liberal News Chronicle said
Britain had some right to expect
outside help in balancing her trade
but could not afford to wait pas
sjyeIy for American aiQ