London, Aug. 9.
Replying to a question by Lord Davies in the House of Lords yesterday as to whether the Government was following the precedent of the last war and proposed to invite Ministers of the Dominions to participate more directly in the conduct of the war and to create a supreme war council which would include representatives of the British Commonwealth and India, Lord Caldecote Secretary of State for the Dominions said: "The desirability of arranging personal discussions with Dominion Ministers, whenever possible, as a further method of facilitate ing the closest possible cooperation between the war efforts of members of the British Commonwealth is constantly borne in mind by His Majesty's Government.
"Ministers from the Dominions visited London last autumn and useful discussions were then held on many subjects connected with the wag Other visits by individual Dominion Ministers have since taken place.
"The United Kingdom feels that the present moment is not opportune ior inviting Dominion Ministers to London for an impartial war conference, or other discussions, but it Hitherto, as {ar as training i workshops was concerned, the Government had adopted the method of persuasion. If training were undertaken in workshops, it meant that ever a short period there must be small sacrifice of immediate produc-rica. This temporary sacrifice must be faced and could be made good in a short time.
In the matter of skilled labour, they must realize that the scarcity of various classes of skilled labour, in the absence of extensive training, would be greatly accentuated by other factors. Large numbers of skilled men had been released from the forces to return to engineering, and recently 3,000 had been so released in one month.
Mr. Bevin said he was reluctant to make training obligatory of employers, but conditions may arise when this would have to be done. Employers should not wait for orders and regulations but should cooperate immediately in this problem.
Mr. Bevin said he had asked that the 19 training centres they now had should be placed in the highest category of priority to get them equipped. He was aiming at 40 centres and if this goal was achieved. output would be doubled.
"If the employers concerned are seized with the importance of training equally. with my department, I am satisfied that with the aid of our Dominions and the United States, and with the fullest use of our manpower and resources at our command dertake any disparity that favour the enemy. It i therefore worthwhile making supreme effort in this field.
Reuter will certainly welcome such discus: sions if occasion offers."—Reuter
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.