The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-25
Abroad
Ry ANNE O'HARE MCCORMICK
In The New York Times

In The New YOrK IlucS
1ONDON-This was the first sunny day
.of the month in London. At noon cnurcn
bells all over the town broke OUT ii - q
chorus of Christmas carols. Ihey oloil ~
NAV the same tunes and some OF the
crhin,es were little cracked and warworn
like the face of London. but the e1Iect ol
the medley was both solemn and merry
the authentic voice of Christmas: -,
People walked in the parks ENJOYING the
lipht. winter luxury as rare as bacon.
The sun brought out the scars and cavlues
tho usual murky atmosphere conceals, but
Londoners have become SO accustomed W
the CITY as it is they no longer see IL as
# was. ANYWAY they were intent on news
of food in the Sunday papers, always iroht.
page headline news. Today 1t orought
cheerful tidings; there will be potatoes iol
Christmas, more eggs anu 'fSs Tbis firs+
in the meat ration in January inns lliSt
fruit of the hard-won Canadian agreement
makes it of more immediate interest 10
hungry Britons than large promise OF
European recovery program
Portable pulpits came out IN ayoe Fark,
but the audiences were small. ole VI dt11
started a rather jolly argun ent on the al
lowance for Princess Elizabeth. The speak
er for the Christian Evidence Guild was
heckled on the Archbishop of Canterburys
disclaimer of responsibility for the opln-
ions of the Red Dean"
Every QueStlOu
Probably today was not typical, but II
it was some of the life has gone out OF
this famous English institution. Crowds
were not only smaller but even less
steamed up than the struggling audiences
in Columbus Circle. This isn't because
there is less steam to let off than there
used to be-. but perhaps because the soap
box arguments are swallowed up in a ma
ton wide forum on real issues Political
arguments and interest in politics were
never so keen in this country as they are
now. The Government isn't remote ar,
bitter sitting in Whitehall or the houses OF
Parliament but power reaching down IN
to Kitchen, factory and farm to decide
what every citizen shall eat, wear ana
buy.
Every question is political. Last weeks
debate in the House of Commons on req
uisitioned property will decide for thou
sands of people whether and when they
can live in their own homes O.. repossess
their own land.
The big debate in England today is on
how far Government control is going or
should CO. 1t echoes in the pubs and rum
bles through the housewives queues. It is
the crux of the difference between Con-
servatives and Laborites. and between tn the
right and left wings of each party. The
tenure of the Labor party in power de-
pends almost entirely on how it operates
controls already established and how much
public support it can win on its record for
going farther.
At present most Conservatives expect
the Labor Government to fill out its term
unless the much-dreamed-of spring crisis
when the money runs out''-reduces ra-
tions to new low Hope that action on
the Marshall Plan may be speeded up,
continuance of supplies from the dominions
and promise of stock-feeding grains from
Russia combine with the sharp upswng
in, fn 10 hot NAL
prospect less likely than it seemed a few
weeks ago.
Not BY Theory
Few deny that most controls are i'm
posed not by theory but by necessity. In
national broadcast last week Herbert
challenged Conservatives to state what
controls they would remove. Replying for
his party, Walter Elliot admitted that they
would not repeal all controls.
Nor would they denationalize the mines.
Naturalization should have a fair rum"
he said, "but will the Socialists play in re-
turn? Steel is breaking records far above
coal. Then will Socialists leave steel to
free enterprise?" Mr. Elliot listed some
controls he would abolish-on travel, basic
petrol, rations on bread and oatmeal
Neither party should ride roughshod over
the other, he added, because over-whelm-
ing Labor backing is gone. ''No good OBJ
server would give a majority of more than
thirty seats either way at a general cleo
tiOn and you cannot run great country
in mortal crisis such as the present on
thirty Seats
The control Mr. Elliot is most concerned
to get rid of is the direction of labor This
is by far the most controversial measure
the Government has sponsored. When the
order for general registration of labor goes
into effect next month it would not be
surprising if it becomes a major ISSUE
THE control of engagement" order pro-
vides that workers shall have a, choice of
several jobs and shall not ordinarily be
obliged to leave home. In the first three
weeks of operation $4,000 were in en-
ployment through labor exchanges and IL
per cent in first preference occupations.
OF this number, according to the Minister
of Labor, George Isaacs, only ten were
actually ''directed'' or forced to take the
job offered and none appealed from the
order
But this is only beginning. The new
order is described as an emergency meas
gle as in wartime, out it cuts deep into
the tradition of individual freedom ana
nany besides the conservative Opposlt!on
wonder anxiously where it Will leao: - ~
goes far enough it is not lnconce1va,ole conc ape
that this may be the issue on wnlGli ,,aa"o mapoa
the questions that strike at tne rooas to,,, ~
British life and make the familiar ofatory
of Hyde Park corner sound academic
The steel industry has slapped on TWO
or three price increases while payiam;4g pya;4s
ira dividends and making big profits.
Sen. John Sparkman ID of Alabama.
IF I make one movie year al NY s
100000 contract figure. taxes lssWHo ssAoo 600 Nl
$40, 900 If 1 make four yea, Tor s4ouoIo 9l]e
as my contract permits, I will al alSo LBing lI5i
about 10000. Which y. would you oo-
Crosby, radio and film star.