Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1947-04-18
Tnn13IlqZ: Et'3a|3H
Is Socialism Responsible for the
British Crisis?
A. debated BY
Harry Barfeld Craven
Former Parliamentary Candidate
of The British Labor Party

MR. CRAVEN OPENS: as Socialism
RESPONSIBLE for the British Crlsls:
Yes-to the same extent that spots
m the sun were responsible for the
defeat of Churchill and the ConSer-
vative party at the last general e1ec
tion Lest this should be CONSIDERED
as too flippant an answer, woulo
like to point out that hunting Tor a
goat is a form of sport that leads no
where. Great Britain took major
part in two world wars within two
decades. The results to their econ
omy would have brought a less re-
silent nation to the ground. The TACT
that they refused to accept detea1
saved the world, including the U.S.A'
Anv government facing the prop.
lens at the end of hostilities, would
have had hard shedding. A corre-
snondent of The New York Times
not exactly a left-wing paper-polnt-
ed out recently that everybody ne
interviewed among large Employ
ers group agreed that any other tnan
the present Labor government would
have been faced with revolutionary
situation. Socialism, in the LABOR
PARTY sense, i.e., the naturalization
of certain essential industries, long
overdue, is in no sense responsible
for Britain's troubles. On the con-
trary. their moderate and evolution
ary program has probably made pos
sible a middle road between the TWO
extremes of Communism and Fasclsm.
Millions in this country and through
out the world are praying for the
success of what is probably the last
chance to combine the two democra-
cies- political and economic IN a
workable human system. add my
prayers to theirs, accompanied by a
heartfelt "cheerio.'
DIR. SAXON CHALLENGES: The
question of the responsibility OF So
cialism for the British crisis canno:
be debated on the basis of Utoplan
expectations, nor on the basis OF past
disasters. The Socialist government
must stand on its own Immediate
record which proves concluSively
that the government has added not
one shilling's worth to Britain's
wealth. To meet absenteeism the
best the government can do is to re.
strict midweek sports; to attempt
vainly to meet its essential coal
quota it plans to encourage immigra-
ton of miners. Meanwhile, it contln-
ues to levy confScatory taxation,
harass the Individual, and multiply
a peevish bureaucracy which mis-
manages an infexible and sterile
market of its own creation. Mean
while, the people 60 hungry and the
Empire dissolveS.
MIR. CRAVEN REPLIES: 1t is lit
tie difficult to conduct this discussion
in a medieval atmosphere. OF neces-
sity, every Government, in any coun-
try, comes into office as an lnherltor
of situation. Britain's foreign trade
without which she cannot hve) IN
spite of enormous difficulties, has
shown a vitality which has surprised
the world. The people-and l mean
the common people - according to
every survey made, are better feo
today than in the most prosperous
British Empire" days. I am delight.
ed that the Empire is being replaced
by a Commonwealth-the family has
grown up. Britain needs many things
that we can supply-Cassandras are
a luxury we had better keep FOL
home use. -