Evening star., 1947-08-28
Labor Regime Scored
By London Press for
Economic Failure
BY the Associated Press

entail London Times declared
today that the time has arrived
for protest" against the Labor
governments failure to embark
on positive program to whip
Britains economic crisis.
The positive side of the pro-
gram remains as undecided as it
was last February said an editorial
in The Times, which usually has
supported the Labor Government
since it came to power slightly morn
than two years ago.
Never has a ministry fallen so
far short OF pent-up expectations
on SO many successive occasions as
Mr.. Attlee's government"
Like most other London news
papers, The Times did not complain
about the ration cuts In food and
gasoline and other restrictions an
nounced last night in the govern
merit's new program Of austerity
aimed at bringing imports in closer
balance with exports.
Bit-By Bit Approached.
Yesterdays announcements, The
Times declared, have all the air
of another postponement Of critical
decisions.
This bit-by-bit approach to the
heads of policy proclaimed by the
Prime Minister three weeks ago
simply means that the good will of
the people is dissipated."
For a second time at least" the
newspaper added, "the people of
Britain were prepared yesterday for
the most rigorous demand for sac
rifices during the lean winter
months ahead Instead they have
again been given a confused account
of the several restraints which can
not be avoided, without any calcula-
ton of the net effect on the stand
ard of life of this reckoning, but for
the positive program for industrial
recovery they must wait"
The pro-government Daily Herald
said this harsh news should act
as fresh summons to hard work
and patriotic action in every field
of our national life"
Foreign Policy Blamed.
The Communist Daily Worker at
tributed the nations economic plight
to the governments foreign policy:
Instead of concentrating every
available workers on reconstruction
the government chose to pursue a
a foreign policy which necessitated
the maintenance of armed forces
much greater in proportion to our
population than those of the United
States. ="
The Financial Times called the
government new austerity an
nouncement "a bewildering docu-
ment.'
The Conservative Daily Tele-
graph lambasted the new program
as more tinkering." declaring "the
governments latest installment of
hardship is still all too vague and
ineffective"
Blame these men," counselled
the Conservative Daily Express, ad-
ding:
Planned poverty leaps ahead.
." The Socialist government has
contrived in two years of misrule
to bring the standard of living of
our people down and down and
down. And the end is not yet"
The ban of foreign travel, part of
the new regulations, the Conserva-
tive Daily Mail declared, spells re-
strictions on individual freedom
such as we have never known in
times of peace"
And when the bell tolls for the
death of liberty, citizen, make no
mistake, it tolls for thee the Mail
added we are under a ban on
free movement, which means that
the people of Britain are chained
to their own country just effectively
as are the Inhabitants of the Soviet
Union"
Food Ration SIashed.
In a series of sweeping moves to
keep her dollar-less economy off the
rocks the British government yes
terday sliced her food ration thin
ner banned pleasure motoring and
outlawed foreign travel for most of
her citizens.
No. 10 Downing street, Prime
Minister Attlee'S official residence,
announcing the cuts while the Pre-
mier was away on vacation, esti-
mated the measures would save
f28,000,0o0 1912 900, ,0OO in the next
year-more than third of Britain's
100000, 600 400000,O00) annual
deficit between exports and imports.
Pretty grim" was the typical re-
action of the British little man"
and his wife to the news that their
present meat ration-which allows
about two pork chops apiece-was
being cut one-seventh, that their
cherished tea ration would be held
to two ounces a week. and their oc-
casional drive into the country a
thing Of the past.
The meat ration was sliced to !
shillings worth 40 cents a week
q pence a cents thinner than
it ever was during the war. This
was the second cut. 1t was, reduced
to shilling 2 pence-the wartime
level-after the fuel shortage last
spring.
Tea Ration Is Frozen.
The tea ration, already a source
of complaint to tea-loving Britons.
was frozen at the lowest level it
reached during the darkest days of
the war.
The basic gasoline ration was
abolished completely.
This meant complete ban on
pleasure motoring after October l.
Until now the allowance had per-
mitted Britons to drive 180 miles
month. The allowance recently was
reduced from 270 miles. AS in war
time, Britons now will be able to
use automobiles only for essential
purposes by obtaining priority gaso-
line.
A slash of Is to 18 per cent was
ordered in food supplies now used
by restaurants and hotels, which
millions depend on to supplement
rations at home. The period which
a person can stay at hotel with
out surrendering his ration book
was reduced from follr davS tn two