Evening star., 1951-09-20
AtfIee Says Voters
Will Decide if Course
Is Back or Forward
syshs Asseeiated Press

LONDON, Sept. 20.-Prime Min
lister Attlee opened the British
Labor Party's campaign for the
ri October Is general election today
by telling the nation it must
choose whether it will ''go back
ward with the Conservatives or
forward with Labor"
At the same time, Winston
/, Churchill and his Conservatives.
sensing victory for the Tories in
the air, began shaping their elec-
ton strategy.
Conservatives considered a good
sign for them the developing boom
on the London stock market in
: the wake of Mr.. Attlee's broadcast
announcement yesterday that the
general election would be held.
Millions of pounds were added TO
the share values on the London
exchange in a buying spree obvi-
ously touched off by the prospect
that the Labor government may
be ending six years of soeialistic
rule.
Leaving for Scotland.
Mr.. Attlee spoke to reporters
before starting an automobile trip
to North Berwick, Scotland, where
he viii address a Scottish Labor
Party conference Saturday.
He laid down what is likely to-
be the Labor Party line in the
campaign:
THE Labor Party will go to the
country with confidence. For six
years under the leadership of the
Labor government the British
people have carried through an
immense task of social and eco
nomic reconstruction.
Britain has played a leading
part in the promotion of peace in
cooperation with all the free
peoples.
"The conservatives have con-
stantly belittled these achieve
ments..
They have no alternative pol
icy. All they can do is to oppose.
mo minded man can deny
that the majority of the people
of this country are better off and
more secure than when the con-
Servatives ruled"
Churchill Is Pleased.
While prospective candidates for
the 625 House of Commons seats
famed out into election districts
for preliminary spadework, Mr..
Churchill greeted with satisfaction
the Labor government decision to
go to the polls. The former war
time leader, now II years old. said
Britons now have the opportunity
to place in power a cabinet effec-
tive at home and abroad, and
mot misled by class warfare or
doctrinal fallacies."
: Mr.. Attlee's brief announce
ment by radio to the country said
the Labor Party wanted a de-
cisive vote of confidence from the
people after 18 months of govern
ment with only a very small ma
jority in the House of Commons.
Lahor's margin on Important
votes mas been only from to 10I
in the 62s-seat House since the
February. 1850, elections. The
Labor Party took power in 1945.
Mr.. Attlee appeared to leave moi
doubt he wanted popular indorse-
ment ef his policies not only over
the attacks from the conserva-l !
tives but also over a left -wingil
section of the Labor Party that;
opposes so much spending for re-
armament. Il
= The leauers of all parties made
swift opening moves.
Party Conference Called OFF.
Mr.. Churchill began his talks
informally with other party promi-
nents and called a full dress meet /
ing of the party's big guns for
Saturday morning. The party
central Office announced it had
called off its scheduled annual
conference at Scarborough Octo-
Der 11-13.
The Liberal Party was expected
to cali off its conference scheduled
for wlat is now election day. The
party mas only nine seats in Com
mons but holds strategic position
between the 315-seat Labor Party
and the 296-seat Conservatives.
Third largest party, it took a bad
shellackine in the 1850 election.
Mr.. Attlee was visited by his
doctor at 10 Downing street. A
spokesman said the visit was
routine and that the physician
found Mr.. Attlee fighting fit."
The Prime Minister has suffered /
from ulcers and had slight at
tack of lumbago last week. The
lumbago seems to have disap-
peared completely" the spokes-
man said.
Anthony Eden. deputy Con-
servative Party leader, was ex-
pected to hurry back to LondonE
from an Italian holiday. Some
predict that if the Conservatives
win, the aging Churchill would
take the prime ministry for a few
days as a victory trophy, them
turn the Job over to Mr.. Eden, So, Il