Evening star., 1951-10-24
Tomorrow Is Day When British Voters Decide
On Occupants for $40 Seats in Commons
80 Million Persons
To Choose Between
Churchill and Attlee
By the Assoeiassd Pres,

BY the Assoeioted Press
LONDON, Oct. British vet-
ers will pass judgment tomorrow
on the Labor government and Its
six years of state controls.
OF almost equal Importance in
the critical national election are
foreign affairs issues, including re-
lations with the United States. :.
A tremendous betting surge on
Winston Churchill and his Con-
servatives to upset Prime Minister
Clement Attlee and the Laborites
was reported by London book
makers. -.
Public opinion polls have indi-
Gated the voters favor the Con-
servative Party.
You hear people say:
TT doesn't make any difference
which party wins-we'l still have
to work like blazes."
You also hear the opinion: "It's
time for a change"
Republican Slogan Borrowed.
Few Britons believe that six
years has been too short to permit
a true test Of the socialist theory.
In an attempt to capitalize on this
feeling. the Tories have borrowed
the famous Republican campaign
slogan of 1948 - had enough !?
vote Conservative"
Mr.. Churchill, who will be n on
November 80, is an old fashioned
politician. He has stumped I'D
and down the land, commanding
Britain to recapture a greatness
which he says is being frittered
away by lesser men.
Mr.. Attlee is 68 but seems older.
He has been prime minister since
1945. He is a quiet man who
bitches his thumbs into the arm
holes OF his vest and explains
things. He seems to try not to
be dramatic in a political meeting.
All the oratory. doorbell ring
ing and electioneering will be over
tomorrow when some 80 million
persons are expected to vote for
candidates seeking $40 seats in
the House of Commons. The party
that wins the greater number will
be asked to form a government.
There are actually 625 seats, but
four candidates in Northern Ire
land were unopposed and already
have been declared elected. Voters
IN a fifth district will not ballot
until later because one of the
candidates died.
Liberal Vote Is Prize,
Election experts analyzing the
concentrate on two fac
tors:
One is the Liberal Party, which
stands somewhere between the
Conservatives and Laborites. Only
lO9 Liberal candidates entered this
race. In many constituencies,
therefore. the unclaimed Liberal
vote is a valued prize sought by
both the larger parties.
The other factor linked with
the the trend Of the Liberal bal
lots is the large number of mar
ginal" constituencies. OF the 625
districts, IS were won by fewer
than 1000 votes in the last elec-
ton. Some candidates won by
ZOO or under. A very slight
change in these districts could
take the seat away from the party
now holding it and give it to the
other. Some British experts con-
slider that a ma jority Of 5000 or
under In districts normally get
ting out $4,000 votes is marginal.
There were 210 of these in the
1850 election.
Neither side is promising a
quick cure for Britain's ills. The
country's economic condition is
very serious. Gold and dollar re-
serves declined by II per cent
during the third quarter Of this
year. Prices are rising steadily.
Exports, on which Britain de-
pends for the very food she eats.
are not keeping pace with the
drain on reserves. Taxes are
nigh. There will be unheated
homes this winter because of
shortages Of coal and electricity.
Socialist Endorsement Asked.
1t was against this bleak and
threatening scene that the Labor
leaders called for a general elec-
ton. In effect they are asking
The people to indorse the socialist
program and give them a man
date to continue it. These are
the major parts of the program
they have carried out since 1945:
l. Naturalization of coal, steel,
electricity. gas, communications,
roads, water and rail transport,
airlines. and the Bank of Eng
land. The total is estimated at
20 per cent of the country's
Industry.
2. They instituted a national
health program which costs the
Government $1,12O, 100000 yearly
for free drugs and medical atten-
ton for some AZ million persons
who avail themselves of it.
3. Increased the age of COM
pulsory school attendance from
IA to Is years.
4. Attempted unsuccessfully to
mild Cnn nm hn,,eae - ,,1z.