1940-01-19 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 19, 1940

Economic Dictator For Britain Urged

PLACE

WITH IN

THE

WAR CABINET

LONDON, TO-DAY.

THE LABOUR PARTY IS PRESSING THE GOVERN- MENT FOR A STATEMENT TO BE MADE SOON BY THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER ON ECONOMIC CO-ORDINATION.

CANDIDATE FOR THE

PRESIDENCY

(8PECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

Washington, To-day. Senator Vie Donahey, from Ohio, announces that he will become a candidate for White House.

With Vice-President J. L. Garner he makes the second Democrat can-

It is expected that a statement will be made the week

after next, when there will be a general debate didate for the Presidency. Havas. on the whole subject.

The Labour view, says Reuter's lobby correspondent, is that there should be a Minister charged with the responsibility of looking after economic functions as distinct from finance, and that such a Minister should be in the War Cabinet and on the same basis as the Chancellor of the Exche-

quer.

His functions would be to plan the economy of the country, both home industries and our interests abroad,

ABYSSINIA

and he would be free from depart- GETTING

mental responsibilities.

It is also likely that the Prime Minister will be urged to make such changes in the War Cabinet that most of its members will be without port- folio and so can devote themselves more fully to the task of winning the

war.

GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE

view The Government point of hitherto has been that the present. system of dealing with economic mat- lers, which are covered by various departments, Is satisfactory and that the critics do not appreciate the diffi- the of the position, while Prime Minister hitherto has given no indication that he desires to make any change in the composition of the Cabinet.

culties

the

Lord Sankey stated In House of Lords on Wednesday that the number of members of not too Whe

the

War Cabinet

large.

He added that the

system of co-

ordination as applied to the defence

services was not

economic sphere.

applicable in the

Reuter.

U.S. NAVAL BUILDING

ON ITS FEET

ROME, TO-DAY.

AMERICAN TOBACCO

IMPORT BAN

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

London, To-day.

The Government has decided temporarily to interrupt Imports of American tobacco, of which two and a half years' supplies have already been stored in Bri- tain.

Moreover, henceforth Virginia tobacco, will not be used alone in cigarettes but will be mixed with 10 or 15 per cent. of Turkish, or Greek tobacco.-Havas.

OPPOSITION PRESS PERSISTS IN CAMPAIGN

London, To-day.

THE SPEECH ON WEDNESDAY of Mr. Ronald Cross, the Minister for Economic Warfare, was the subject of yesterday's comment in the British Press. There was criticism of the methods of procedure and closer co-operation between the various departments was advocated.

THE ITALIAN EMPIRE IN AFRICA The "Manchester Guardian," for instance, says that

HAS CONCLUDED THE PHASE OF COMPLETE DEPENDENCE ON THE MOTHER COUNTRY, DECLARED SIGNOR MUSSOLINI IN A SPEECH HERE YESTERDAY.

Presiding at the first meeting of the newly-created General Council of the Corporative Consultative Organisa- tion for Italian Africa, Il Duce added: "It must now begin its independent life with the mother country's help until it can contribute to Italy's ma- terial resources.”—Reuter.

BRITISH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

London, To-day.

The question of British financial as- sistance to Finland is now under dis- cussion with the Finnish authorities, stated, the Prime Minister in a written answer to a question in the House of Commons yesterday.

Washington, To-day. Mr. Chamberlain, added that the In the House of Represen-exact extent of assistance which might tatives naval committee, dis-be necessary or possible was not yet cussing the recent appropria-

tion proposals, Chairman

Carl

Vinson proposed &

determined.-Reuter.

$500,000,000 reduction in the BARBER

projected $1,300,000,000 fleet

expansion programme.

The proposal would out the tonnage.

from 400,000 to 218,000.

GETS ROUGH

Mr. Vinson explained that the re-t you use a

would permit all for

duced programme

building that could efficiently

handled.

He expressed the opinion that: it was unwise to pile up too

construction;ahead

which it can

out.

son indicated that his pro- posal in no way aimed at cutting down the Navy. -- Reutar.

other

scissors again

your pro- prison," morning who was

to keep

was stated "that"Ng," after argu-. with his foki, used the pair of scissors and jabbed him on the head. Lui was treated in Kowloon H

the two committees responsible for the co- ordination of economic actions lack the effi- ciency of a Minister of Cabinet rank with the power to direct other Government departments.

Field-Marshal Goering, Second Man sufficient powers have been given to in Germany, the paper points out, is Mr. Cross or anyone else. Britain and in exclusive charge of Germany's France need closer co-ordination of economic effort. Could we say that efforts to drive Nazi trade out of we had paid this important side of European marts. the war an equal compliment?

that

The "Daily Telegraph" feels The "News Chronicle" says that Mr. Cross erred on the side of what is needed is a Minister of au- optimism in his estimate of the re- thority and imagination who will give sults achieved. Stocks accumulated new direction on the whole economic in Germany in peace-time are pro- policy of the war, a Minister with bably greater than he is prepared to authority to co-ordinate the work of several departments and see that plans are carried out.

INBUFFICIENT POWER The "Daily Herald" feels that

Ope

admit.

"The Times," however, feels that the Allies may be expected to devise effective machinery to increase Ger- in-many's difficulties.-Reuter.