The Wilmington morning star., 1947-11-03
Beginning Of The End?

Great Britain is getting tired of its La
Dor government
That is the clear conclusion most all
observers will reach from a preliminary
appr aisal of the result of the 'overwhelnl-
ing'' victory of Winston Churchill's Con-
servatives over Prime Minister Attlee's
party in Saturdays municipal elections in
England and Wales.
The balloting was for 1886 council seats
one third of each borough councll-in
1872 cities and towns exclusive of London.
Returns from 365 of these localities
showed:
Conservatives gained 588 seats, lost II;
Labor gained AZ and lost 646; Liberals
gained A, lost 46; Communists gained
none and lost nine; Independents gained
no. lost 126.
It is significant that Labor's setbacks
were suffered in such strongholds of Bir-
mingham, where it lost its majority on the
Municipal council, and Manchester, where
it also saw its control 60 by the board.
Previous majorities for Mr.. Attlee's party
were also erased in Rugby, Lincoln, Read
ing, Rochester and the London suburb of
Wemley.
Does this trend indicate a complete
swing of public opinion, as claimed by
the Conservatives?
Is it wholesale rejection of the doctrine
of socialism throughout the country?
The majority of early expressions from
observers indicates it does. Some are ex-
treme enough, such as the British Press
association, to forecast that the eventual
result may be almost as dramatic as when
Labor swept into office in the genera
election more than two years ago.
This much is quite true: Prime Minister
Attlee and his associates have been un-
able to keep their campaign promises OF
1915. Although the Labor party has ma
tionalized series of key industries on the
contention that such action would better
the welfare of the workers, it has been
beset by economic problems which have
forced adoption of the most austere mea-
sures III the countrys peace-time history.
The average Briton is worse off today
than ever before. And it is only natural
that he should blame Mr.. Attlee's party
when the time came to 60 to the polls
The Briton has been thinking more and
more about a simple question: What would
winnie" have done had he been in
power? That he is in the mood to give
the great wartime leader another chance
is quite evident in the municipal returns.
And many an American is thinking On the
same lines. Maybe Saturdays returns will
be considered as the beginning of the end
of the Labor government which has, more
than any single group, brought on Brit
aims dismal life and failure to spring back
to even fraction of its former greatness
in the postwar period.
We wonder what excuses Mr.. Attlee will
offer for the failure of his administr alton
in this test of popularity. But whatever
he does say will not dim the fact that
it is a powerful indictment of his party
and methods. Whether he has any reserve
resources to increase the acceptance of
his government is quite doubtful Like
many Briton, we are convinced that he
has touched the bottom Of his bag Of po-
litical tricks and there's nothing left to
defend the adninistr alton from further in
roads by Mr.. Churchill's Conservatives.
Britain's fling at socialism may be in
the shadows of it's final days.