—and its Limitations
Mr. Churchill could not have stated the case better. He showed his attitude to his own party, and the similar attitude which he hoped would be adopted by the other party leaders. Some who in the past have been more closely identified with party politics may, without disagreeing with him, require some qualification of his general statement. Thus Mr. Attlee, speak- ing at Glasgow on Sunday, agreed that unity in the face of the enemy demands the suspension of party strife ; but added quite reasonably that this does not mean that people should give up the public discussion of political, social and economic questions. Conservatives and Liberals will not differ from him on this point. Indeed it would be impossible for the country to be ready with plans of post-war reconstruction unless the measures to achieve_it had been fully considered and even debated beforehand. The distinctive Labour attitude (if any attitude to this problematic world can really be dis- tinctive of any party) should be known and understood, with a view to reconciling it with other attitudes, which may or InaY not be those of parties. Yet it is supremely to be hoped that neither the Labour nor any other organisation will approach the major questions of reconstruction with a view to adopting a party attitude, but should do so rather in Mr. Churchill's spirit, when he adjures the Conservative organisation to con- centrate its thoughts on victory. So again in the matter of " war aims " or " peace aims," Mr. Churchill -rightly refuses to produce a catalogue ; but that is no reason why others less responsibly placed should not discuss the matter ad infinitum in the course of doing so they may produce material which will prove of great value later on.
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