Hy also referred at considerable Jength ta the new problem that had arisen while Labour had been tent on winning political power. "It was", he said, "how, in a post. war world no longer clamouring for our goods can we feed and maintain our population in a man+ ner consistent with 20th century standards? "For," he said, "it in folly to imagine that a refusal to face this problem will cause it to disappear. Glib phrases about a 'Worker's State,' ox mere denunciation of the Capitalist system minus any constructive proposals simply shirk the question and) may ultimately bring retribution from a dis-illusioned people." will be seen from this that Labour somewhat concerned at its! ignominious failure to deliver the goods during its barren period of office: Mr. Cramp, unhappily, had no very satisfying assurances to offer'the delegates. He merely proteased to derive great comfort from the fact that 'a small but came: 1 group of Labour members are iving thought" to the problem.
ior to Labour's spell of office we were told that the Webbs and Snowdens had given all the! thought necessary to solve it and/ many people have not yet forgotteit the "famous answer to the Conservatives when asked to produce the famous panaceas. We cannot", Mr. Shaw, plaintively bleated, "pro: duce schemes like rabbits out of a hat." But, atter, all, the most! significant phrase in the whole of Mr. Cramp's oratorical effort was hhis assertion that, "We shall be! with, the organized workers what.' ever! be the path thes follow."
Slaps for the Reds Controversial issues were posal of the Executive to-rut> ous at the: commencémen®' by: the pr.
nding that tle offer the many sheld Be lowed to fiat" the Labour Party. The proposal, based on the rule that a defeated issue must not be raised again for three years, was challenged by Gallacher the Communist bat it was carried by 2,054,000 to 321,000. Communism got the next slap in the face when Pollitt moved the rejection of the Executive's proposal that, "No member of the! Comrauniat Party shall be eligible Party." jaimed that a party: to become " member of the Labour
which was wife enough to include Lord Haldané- and those who visit Balmoral, and yacht with Lord Incheape, should be wide enough to include the best fighters in the Labour movement. Another delegate supported him by alleging that the Executive was taking its: orders from Birkenhead and Churchill, Mr. Ramsey BMacDonald claimed that the Communist stood for class struggle and civil war whereas the Labour Party believed in orderly progress by Parliamentary means. The Communist resolution, was defeated by 2,870,000 votes to 321,000.
All through the proceedings this sort of thing went on with admire able consistency. The political wing ere forgiven their mistake in accepting the Zinovieff letter genuine. The Dawes Report Dlessed. A proposal that Labour should not again take office while in a minority was two and million votes to half a million; and a resolution pledging the support of the Parts to the extreme "Sunday Worker" was detented after a slashing attack 4 on that paper by its chief victim, Mr. J. H. Thomas.
The usual scene' of the Conference developed in the course of a heated dud between Bevi ud MacDonald. Bevin is one of the most respected trade union leaders in the country with no particular predilection for either Right of Left. He is an anti-Communist who has no illusions about MacDonald, whom he con+ siders a slim political intriguer masking a love of power and money under an outward show of piety and paternal solicitude for the good name of the Party. Bevin objected to the Labour Party taking' office again if its members were in minority in the House of Commons, He claimed that the tactics and manceuvres consequent on such a course tended to destroy confidence in the party using them. Mace Donald, to whom office on those terms is as the breath of life, insomuch as the trappings and money are there combined with a plausible excuse for doing nothing, replied tothe attack with great vigour. Bevin described it as "his usual exhibition of the politician's art," and taunted him with the arrangements he used to make with the Leleeater Liberals to keep his seat.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.