Evening star., 1947-12-14
By Glenn WiIIioms
Press Foreign cerrs.pendsn,

LONDON, Dec. 13.-Increasine
evidence that Britain is surely beat.
ing back national poverty ha.
brought new surge of optimism to
these islands.
Deputy Prime Minister Herbert
Morrison declared in a speech pre-
pared for nationwide broadcast
tonight that Britain had rounded
the recovery corner"
Let's look at the facts and figures
and be proud of ourselves as a
people" he said.
Il am the last to start cheering
before the game is won,' he added
but it's not going too badly"
The new optimism has spread even
to the office of Sir Stafford Cripps
dour boss of Britain's economics
and finance, where a spokesman
said things are on the up and up
The optimism is as clear a change
OF spirit as was the tirednesss and
let-down feeling that followed the
war. Good news now Is hailed in
headlines that for months have told
only of ration cuts and one crisis
after another.
The most spectacular bright spo,
is in coal production, which has
risen above safety levels and allowed
renewal of exports. Even the black
spots in the industrial picture-a
severe shortage Of freight cars, com
paratively low textile production
and the foreign trade deficit - are
Frightening a little.
Rail Car Crisis in Prospect.
The shortage of rail cars, so worn
by hard use during the war that
$4,000 of them have gone out OF
service in the past year, may yet
produce a crisis" before spring
particularly If there should be lone
stretch of severe weather.
But there is strong spirit to work
harder. Thousands of volunteers
have turned out to unload freigh,
cars, clearing nearly $4,000 of then
last week-end-enough to make ur
for the decline in numbers of cars
This human factor-a resurgenc.
of the wartime will to WINS some.
thing that cannot be assessed ir
production statistics.
But it certainly is recognized. A
coal board spokesman said las
week that it was highly responsible
for the fact that coal production
has exceeded 100000 tons for fou,
successive weeks.
A spokesman at Cripps' office sale
Britain's planning is based on ar
assumption that the Marshall plar
will not be approved. "If and wher
1t is approved, it will give us 9
bounce toward prosperity" he added
"The dif1lculty is that things turr
against us overseas-the terms O,
trade are bad" the spokesman con.
tinued.
"Bad' terms of trade mean tha
although Britain's export production
has been boosted well over 1913,
levels, the income from foreign sale!
buys proportionately much smaller
volume Of imports because of vastl,
higher prices that must be pait
abroad.
Britain Has $4,000, 600, 900.
In the first 10 months of this year
for instance, Britain ran into deb
on her trade balance by 518, 1887, 40,
pounds ($2073, ,549, 9,992)-about 81
per cent above her trading defici
for the same 10 months in 1888.
| The Marshall plan would hell
carry this burden until Britain
boosts its export production to II!
per cent Of the 1898 volume, the goa
officially set as Britain's level TO
self support.
Meantime. Britain has about s.,
000, 100000 in gold and other asset!
for itself and the rest of the ssterfini
area. 1t has sold s412 ,000, 900 in golc
in the last three months anc
changed pounds into another 1920.
100000 with the internationa
monetary fund.
Now the remaining 100000, ,00'
Of the American loan has been un
frozen. At the rate at which golt
was spent the rest of the loan shoult
last about two months. One hundred
million of the balance was drawn
this week. g
Amid these financial trade diff
culties, Britain is mending it
foreign trade fences with new agree
ments.
Spotlighted this week was the an
nounced agreement "in principle
with Russia under which Britain i
to get 500, 900 tons of corn and othe
coarse grain-a strong boost for re
building beef, hog and poultry pro
duction.
In return Russia will get ma
chinery, electrical equipment an,
steel rails. The fact that Britain
now Is able to guarantee deliver.
of these materials-which sh