Evening star., 1955-05-22
LABOR'S CASE
By HAROLD DAVIES
Labor Member of Parliament


the face of the earth with the H
bomb and we must now find way
to chain this horror. In April 1854
Clement Attlee moved motion IN
the House of Commons asking for
immediate high-level talks. Those
talks have not taken place.
Labor will cooperate with speed
to implement TOP LEVEL TALKS.
On March End, 1855 Prime Min
lister Churchill reported to the Com
mons, ''It is quite true would have
liked to see top level conference
it was not found possible to per-
suade President Eisenhower to join
in that process"
No Boots Of Leod
We are now told in England that
President Eisenhower will Go any
where for peace" So will Attlee and
not with boots of lead.
The British public are tired Of
progress by infinitesimal stages. AS
Attlee said, I'VE live together or we
die together"
l.. LdOO1 CdOC 10 b1ldU tLiO AANSA ANA
talks at the highest level existed
since 1853 and was made imperative
/ by the hydrogen bomb menace.
2. Such talks must have priority.
8. Britains position gives her a
special responsibility in gaining &C
ceptance for them. We could only
last hours in an H-Bomb war.
The Conservatives have paid little
more than lip service to top level
talks during their period Of power.
The Far Eost
A general Far Eastern settlement
must be attempted If we are not to
be faced with continuous crisis. If
the great powers are to disarm, the
causes of world tension must be
attacked and we regard the centers
of crisis as Germany and Formosa.
Labor urges the evacuation Of the
| offshore islands held by Chang Kai-
| Shek and the long overdue admis-
sion of Communist China to the
United Nations.
We ask at least for the neutraliza-
tion of Formosa for a number OF
years. The people of Formosa must
ultimately decide. The Conservatives
have avoided the realities of these
issues. Germany must be united.
Another profound challenge of our
time is the gap between the highly
| developed industrial nations of the
West and the millions of people in
Asia and Africa. Labor believes that
it is our duty to protect the people
of the underdeveloped countries
| from exploitation and to continue
their transformation into free and
equal peoples-free from racial and
color discrimination.
The Labor Party feels that the
United States tends to underesti-
mate the legitimate desires for free
dom in Southeast Asia and while 1t
does not think that Britain is ON
| niscient In Asian affairs, neverthe-
| less believes that the United States
disregards Britain's point Of view a
little too hastily.
We are thus committed to support
puppets rather than leaders Of
genuine Asian and Southeast Asian
aspirations.
Defense
Labor accepts the responsibility Of
strength in defense but notes the
demand on our manpower is pro-
portionately higher than most sig
natories of the North Atlantic
Alliance. A Labor Government will
submit all problems of defense to a
searching inquiry and, in particular.
it will review the period of National
Service. Despite three years of Con-
servative Government with heavy
defense expenditure, grave def1cien-
cies have been found in the Royal
Air Force and in the use of man
power for the services.
Labor will cooperate to the full
with the United States of America
and all members of the United Ma
tions Organization. U.N.O. must be
the instrument of the tasks ahead.
Friendship with the United States
is essential but we view with alarm
the dangers inherent in Mccarthy
ism. Freedom of speech and free
dom from fear are essential. We
believe that democracy works but
McCarthyism kills true democracy.
Aneurin Bevan has said THE
philosophy of democratic socialism
is essentially cool in temper. 1t sees
society in its context with nature
and is conscious of the limitations
imposed by physical conditions. It
sees the individual in his context
with society and is therefore COM
passionate and tolerant"
Planning, Public Ownership
Labor will plan the nations re-
sources. It will see that the claims
of moderniZation and investment
come first. Taxation policy will be
such as to encourage productive in
vestment.
The nationalized industries are
outstripping private enterprises in
their high rate of investment and
advances in technical efficiency.
We shall re-nationalize steel and
road haulage and bring sections of
the chemical and machine tool in
dustries into public ownership.
Despite the higher dividends that
the Conservatives have enabled pri-
vate enterprise to obtain, British in
dustrialists, in the main, still do not
plough back enough into private
enterprise. Despite Tory criticism
the ii industries nationalized are
showing dividends.
Labor does not support an invest
ment policy which relies exclusively
on private initiative regardless of
social obJectiveS.
1t seems that we have managed
for while both here and in the
United States to provide both guns
and butter. This can only be done
by holding back standards in the