Era
With increase of the War Cubf- According to reports here, the renewal of a more gradual contact a powerful movement in favour Brenner Pass included discussion all point to the possibility of pro- there is Hitler-Mussolini meeting at the between Washington and Moscow,
of setting up a smaller "Inter of plans for hurling the whole co-gress now in the diplomatic council" concerned solely with ordinated force of the Axis mill-sphere. war policy. Its signlacant tary machine against Egypt and that such a step to-day in a leading editoriul in drive through...Spain directed is urged Palestine simultaneously with a "The Times," of London:
against, Gibraltar, and the action
The primary task of the recon-gainst Grefse in the Balkans, cached on all five war fronts in structed Government in the mili- The Spanish Situation Britain: military, diplomatic, so-tary sphere is generally acknow- cial, Anancial, and domestic.
ledged to be that of making sure of a British victory in Egypt.
The recent changes in the 'Bri- tish Cabinet have been hailed in The people of Germany London as important mainly be and of Britain will have
cause they mark the end · of a one thing in common this political era of what might be winter. Great numbers of called the Chamberlain period, them will choose to spend
Actually, however, the Cabinet their nights in air-raid reconstruction is much mere sigui- shelters instead of in their feant as a milestone marking the beds. How the Germans new stage which has now been manage it is their affair, but we can be sure that in the long war ahead the country will have an ad-
A more vigorous, positive and vantage that can best or- forward-looking policy is to ganise its shelter provi-charactering action on all these sion and keep up the fronts under the War Cabinet as health and comfort of the it has been reconstituted. To put vulnerable civilian popu-it in the briefest possible terms, lation during the dark the task of the new cabinet is to winters. Britain has plan, prepare, and execute as learned a good deal about quickly as possible a change-over shelters in the last few from a defensive to an offensive weeks. The experience of war policy. London has rudely shaken
In the military sphere, little can many of the theories on be published about these prospects, which the Ministry of but it is possible to state that the Home Security has been keynote of all netivity int the comfortably acting, and Army, Air Force, and Navy is, while continuing to build-up-de- London's experience can be paralleled in most other fensive strength against possible invasion, to press forward in every big centres even if they possible respect in order to be in a have not witnessed any favourable position to wrest the serious destruction of life initiative from the enemy and pass and property. The as-to the offensive as soon as cir- sumption of the shelter cumstances permit. policy on which everybody had been acting was that raids would be of short duration, a matter .of This is known to be the favour- siipping from bed
toed policy not only of the military, safety and back again.naval, and air force chiefs, but The long-continued also of the War Cabinet itself and alarm, whether covering the Government as a whole. intense attack or mere nuisance visitation by enemy 'planes, was not foreseen. Nor was the
instinct deep-seated. take cover and to stay
to
inner Council”
Proposed.
More and more it is becoming evident that Britain must not only succeed. in resisting the Italian
By Mallory Browne
drive towards the Nile and Suez, but must actually inflict a stinging defeat on the Italian forces.
Eastern Forces Strengthened
that
Here the diplomatic front be comes important. There are still some hopes
diplomatic action may be able to prevent Spain's swinging wholly into line with the Axis.
Parallel to these new initiatives in the military and diplomatic spheres, revisions are under way on the home front. The social. transformation that has been go- [ing on steadily ever since the war began is likely to be speeded up by two of the Cabinet changes: the entry of Mr. Ernest Bevin into the War Cabinet and transferenco. of Mr. Herbert Morrison from the of Home, Secretary and Minister, Ministry of Supply to the position
of Home Security. Both are La- bour men.
But at the other end of the
Mr. Bevin's inclusion in the Mediterranean, Turkey, Greece,
Inner Cabinet raises Labour and, above all, Soviet Russia are representation on that key body the keystones in the diplomatic from two to three. This clearly Balkan blockhouse Britain is en-reflects the growing importance of unionism and labour generally. deavouring to build to stop Axis not only immediately for the pro- secution of the war, but ultimate- moves in that direction.
ly for the reconstruction of the new Britain and the new world in the postwar period.
Whether the fact that Viscount Halifax remains a member in the Cabinet will deter improvement
Mr. Bevin' stands solidly at the In the Anglo-Russian relations re-head of the labour phalanx which and more in- is exerting more fluence on the Government's policy during the war and is virtually 'certain to continue influential if not actually dominant for some time after the conclusion of peace.
more
All that can be learned here mains to be seen. He was closely tends to confirm the distinctly associated with the Chamberlain Britain's prospects there. The Bri-a optimistic reports from Egypt as to foreign policies, but lately toward
vigorous tish freet based on Alexandria un-an understanding with the Soviets. policy of
Eastern Mediterranean, doubtedly dominates the entire At the same time there is con- and has siderable criticism in London ot been able to reinforce the armies his retention in the Cabinet. in the Middle East very consider- ably in materials as well as men.
Revisions On Home Front There is some reason to believe, however, that the Germans too are
Although any excessive optim-Japan. now equally concerned with theism would be decidedly out of vital struggle in Egypt and are place, it is unquestionably true war Cabinet is Sir Kingsley Wood. sending dive bombers and fighters that these new elements in the Although probably included to across to Libya to lead in the at-situation, combined with closer preserve party balance within the
tack.
..
Anglo-American cooperation, and
Beginning Of A New
By Peter Lyne
Afth column çells." -
of
to paralyse military
This influence is all on the side of more vigorous and more offen- sive action in carrying on the war. It is also being exerted in favour of more positive diplomatic action along the lines of closer, coopera- tion with Soviet Russia and more consistent aid to China against
The other new addition to the
War Cabinet, his inclusion also constitutes a formal recognition of the fact that the financial problem, always important, is now destined to become more and more 'pre- eminent,
So far the Government has done surprisingly well in financing seri- ous inflation. But difficulties in · swelling the influx of taxes and loans to required proportions are The chief essentials of the offer increasing. Higher taxes are now to France were, common citizen- being talked about and an intensi- ship and, a common responsible fled national savings campaign is " authority, constituted to take.con-under way, trol of foreign and economic poli-
cies from the National Govern- Dollars Are Needed ments.
country.
19
protected until all danger The Federal Union organisation is past. The people in the in London has evolved a plan for congested areas and it is helping to win the war by rally- ing continental anti-Nazis to form they who are the most a single movement with a positive vulnerable and least pro-aim. tected--have shown that The scheme would make for
At least equally grave is the the shelters they want greater use than at present of the in close cooperation with the pro Federal Union would interpret problem of obtaining sufficient as covering foreign exchange to finance pur- advice and services of refugees jccted Advisory Committee "economic policy" are underground shelters the Continent. It would in- Free Europeans.
control oyer tariffs, currency, choses- abroad, especially in migration, communications, and America, Hitherto British reserves roomy enough to sleep include an advisory council of re-
Three stages of the Ministry's public works and also power to of dollars and American securi- of the subjugated and, moreover, shelters presentatives
States now in Britain; a Federal work would be:
insure that colonies and depen- ties have been ample, but dencies are administered in the American deliveries increase in where they can meet Legion of volunteers who could
1. Disseminating propaganda to interests of the inhabitants and not volume and speed, these funds landed or dropped by para- whatever dangers hang be in continental localities with undermine trust in the existing for the benefit. of any particular must steadily decline. The ques- tion of how to obtain the necessary over them in the company which they were acquainted and German regime.
dollars. to buy more American of their fellows. It may be where they would have personal
2. Dispatch of agents to organise Basis Of Draft Charter planes, guns, munitions, and other inguence..
supplies is bound to become" against all the rules that people should like to herd urged, should be intrusted with A new British Ministry, ipis
The draft charter for the twen-grave one before very long, 3. Active fifi column" inter-tieth century individual pro- together in hundreds in direction of this aspect of warfarevention
posed by Federal Union is based A great deal is already being “ holes in the ground; it against Germany. It would work more to set up un alternatives on individual needs and rights done to build up British exports;
move to setup
Gov-such as peace, security, justice, and export drives are to be inten- may be
bad for their labour nor the material." ernment.
work, education, leisure, freedom sified under the, new Cabinet po- of thought, speech, and expression, licy. Even so, however, the ques- health and lay them open "If," says the "Guardian," Clearer Peace Aims
and freedom to change one's gov- tion of credit and therefore of to infection. But they pre-"we are to prepare against
arnment by peaceful means. revision, or modification of the Johnson Act in the United States fer it, and it is hard to several years more of war scheme, it is admitted, must be a The purpose of the State is convince them that they every encouragement more clearly defined statement of stated to be to ful0ll these needs distant future. are worse off in health should be given to the ment. Only a precise and hopeful: turn, the charter states, the citizen Finally, the home front itself than if they are confined construction of deep alternative to National Socialism, owes certain obligations, such as particularly, the front line in Lon- it is pointed out, can persuade to serve his community, to parti-don-is to be the subject of sev- to small street surface bombproof shelters wher-subjugated continental peoples to cipate in the choice of its govern-eral new moves implied in the shelters, or their own cel-lever the nature of the undertake the risks of revolution ment and the conduct of lu affairs, Cabinet changes. Mr. Morrison's and to keep himself informed in appointment as. Home Secretary lars if indeed they have soil makes it reason-
ragard to men and affairs, so that and Minister of Home Security, them.
ably easy In London, for The Federal Union plan of such he will be able to participate ef- has been lieartily welcomed and is a revolution is outlined in a mem- fectively and to choose wisely. cxpected, to lead to a rapid im- The Manchester instance, there is every orandum being. widely circulated
provement in such things as more Guardian" argues strong- reason why some of the in Britain. The programme.for the The whole Federal Union schmeland better shelters and quicker the ly that Britain, should tubes should be extended structive side of an anti-Nazi summed up as "A new world, co-ordination of relief for
revolution, discussed. at a recent by new men, in new words, " -* homeless. A new approach to the. even at this stage turn to for use as shelters and so Federal Union Conference at Ox- A practical "Plant Plenty" thorny problem of friendly enemy
ford, is in two parts:
was outlined at the Oxford Con-aliens is, also enticipated: making deep shelters in enable the main system to
ference by Mr. Borbtia Wooton, large cities, as Govern- be reserved for transport. ment was urged to do Deep shelters cannot be after the first trials of city dismissed as simply as Sir]
The John Anderson dismisses bombing in Spain. country is, unfortunately, them." too late. "Officialdom
A
necessary factor in
the
peace aims by the British Govern- and safeguard these rights. In re-
against the Gestapo..
An outline of the structure
of the new Europe.
is
is bound to arise in the not fur
J
a director of studies for London or less immediate importance, University and a leading member but of even greater ultimate signi- of Federal Union.' Calling for a ficance, is the new post allotted 2. A charter of Twentieth Cen- Federal Government for the free to Sir John Reith. As Minister of tury Freedom.
peoples she declared that one of Works-and, Buildings. It is gener-. the chief tasks of this Govern-ally assumed that he will not only It is urged that the offer ofment would be to lay down de superintend the reconstruction of union made to the French should cont minimum standards ef living buildings and homes during the There would seem to be be made available on the basis of and to insure that these were ad- war, but will be given the job of frowned, and now, we are a lesson for Hong Kong a charter of twentieth century hered to. It would have control of planning and organising in a big freedom to any people which bu all the necessary supplies of maj way the rebuilding of a new and told, there is neither the here somewhere.
come dieu OL NUŽI dumination. terials,
better. Britain after the war.
: