Evening star., 1951-07-12
Britoin's Left-Wing Manifesto

Headed by Aneurin Bevan, Britain's left
wing Laborites-who broke with the Attlee gov
ernment last April-have now issued manifesto
that calls In effect for butter before guns, some
kind of appeasement of Russia, and modification
of the Anglo-American alliance. The whole
thing is pretty vague and unrealistic, but 1t Is
meat for demagogues seeking to win votes by
appealing to the emotions of the British people.
The British after all, have been doing with
out things for long time, and their stepped up
rearmament program is certain to AFFECT their
living standards, although not necessarily nearly
so severely as the Bevans predict. So when
poiticians-in this case a relatively small
minority-go before these people and advocate
that defense expenditures be cut in order to pro-
mote social progress and make civilian life easier
and pleasanter for the average man and woman,
large numbers of average men and women are
likely to find the whole idea extremely appeal
ing, especially when it is accompanied by sug-
gestions as to how their defense effort can be
reduced without danger to themselves and their
country
Thus, in their manifesto, Mr.. Bevan and his
followers hold that Britain can safely cut back
on its rearmament if it will do these things
among others: Cd Be more Independent OF
Washington and seek an understanding Of some
sort with Soviet Russia; (2)- exert its influence
in an effort to apply the brakes to the rearma-
ment uf the United States lest the United States
be tempted to strike before being attacked; and
90 clarity beyond any conceivable doubt the
circumstances under which any American
bomber should be allowed to leave these islands
on military and warlike mission which would
certainly bring atomic reprisals upon our own
cities" Points and are so vague and so far
removed from the realities that Mr. Bevan him.
self-for all his eloquence-probaby will be hard
put to make them sound convincing to the Brit
ish people. Point 3, however, is something else
again; it can have considerable popular appeal.
This is so for the reason that there is wide
spread feeling among Britons that the existence
of great American air bases in the United King
dom will make the United Kingdom a prime
target in the event of war. With or without
those bases, OF course, it is by its very nature
prime target but despite this, and despite the
fact that the presence of our bomberS there is
in itself deterrent to aggression and factor
greatly serving Britain's security as we'll as our
own, Mr.. Bevan and his left-wing Laborites
probably can win lot of unthlnking support for
their idea. The substance of that idea is that
the military partnership between our two coun-
tries, although it should be maintained, should
be subject to certain notifications, including
particularly one that would give the British an
absolute veto" over the issue of how and when
our planes could strike from British SOIL
With the exception of the Communist Daily
Worker, the newspapers of Britain have turned
a unanimous thumbs-down on the whole thesis
of this manifesto: In all probability after
thinking about it bit, the great bulk of the
British people will turn it down too, the fact
being that they can hardly fail to realize that
their country and ours, in case of the outbreak
of great war, will face such deadly common
= threat to their survival that they will be in no
mood to argue over issues like the timing of
American bomber take-sffs from bases in the
United Kingdom.
Even so Mr. Bevan and his crowd, though
they are net themselves Reds, can confuse lot
of minds and be of considerable help to the
Kremlin if they keep on beating the drums for
their peculiar brand of muddle-headedness.
They should be met head on in Britain with the
powerful arguments that are available to show
how pascally stupid they are.