Evening star., 1949-09-13
Election
CONTINUED From First Page)

question and probably will decide
in favor of a spring election,
possibly in March or April.
Mr.. Attlee has called a meeting
Of his ministers for tomorrow but
what he plans to talk about has
not been officially disclosed.
The political informants re-
ported at least three members of
the British cabinet favor autumn
election.
Their view is that the govern
ment, flushed with the partial
success of the Washington talks,
would easily get confidence vote
rom the nation.
The opposite majority
view to this is said also to be that
the government can do with an
extra six months of administra-
ton which would enable it to Sc
cure the bill Matchmaking the
British steel industry and pass
the Parliament Act reducing from
two years to one the period the
House of Lords may delay passage
of bills.
The steel and Parliament bills
formed an important part of the
1945 election program. The gov
ernment would like to be able to
show the country it has completed
practically the whole program of
legislation it set for itself, the
sources said.
All election talk is speculative,
Mr.. Attlee almost certainly has
not taken any decision so far. He
is known, however, to have dis
cussed the situation with his COL
league. Whatever is finally
decided will to the last possible
moment be a closely-guarded
secret.
The usually we'll informed lob
by correspondent of British Press
Association wrote today: Had
the dollar talks broken down, with
consequently unexpected new aus
terities for Britain and a looming
prospect Of unemployment, the
government might have been
forced either by a split in their
own ranks or by the general vol
ume of criticism, to have an
autumn election so that the coun-
try should decide for or against
their policy"
Treasury officials said while no
new dollar import cuts are being
planned, the Is per cent ($400,-
000,000) slash in Britain's hard
currency spending program Or
dered in July remains in force.
One of Cripps' first tasks when
he returns will be to put re-
vised dollar import program
taking into account this Is per
cent slash-before the cabinet.
Mainly affected will be sugar,
tobacco. timber, paper and pulp,
non-ferrous metals, cotton, steel
and machinery.
Britain hopes to Offset some of
the losses by buying these things
in non-dollar areas.
This country gets one-third of
its raw cotton from dollar coun-
tries: Two-fifths OF its non-fer-
rous metals: one-f1fth of its tim
ber; one-tenth of Its hides; one
eighth of its paper-making ma
terials: three-f1fths of its rosin
and practically all its sulphur and
carbon black.
In the view Of Treasury officials
effects of the cuts will become ap-
parent within the next two
months.
These officials said the employ
ment situation Is unlikely to be
felt In industries using these
materials because Britain is in Q
position to run them on existing
stocks for some time to come.
Case of Cotton Cited.
The officials cited the case OF
cotton.
Britain gets one-third of its
supplies from the United States
It consumes about 10000 tons q
month. It's stocks total 323. 3.00C
tons. This means the industry
could operate on stocks for al
least 10 months-even If it weren't
receiving supplies from soft cur
rency countries.
The officials said there is about