In the- House of Commons on Monday the debate on
the Report stage of the Films Bill was oddly confused owing to the passion for individualistic principles which was unexpectedly revealed by Socialists. The argument by 'a believer in the universal sufficiency of the State that statutory interference with a trade is likely to ruin that trade might have been regarded in a more super- stitious age as a sign that the end of the world was approach- ing. Besides, the films trade asks to be helped. Perhaps the simplest explanation of the attitude of the Socialists is that they have forgotten their first friendliness for the Bill in their anxiety at all costs to trip up the Government. Personally we do not in the abstract like the principle of coddling British films by means of the compulsory quota, but we recognize that in practice it may be the only way of helping the industry to overtake its competi- tors. The truth is that during the War and immediately afterwards the American filin industry got such a long start that the British industry may never be able to reduce the gap if it is not artificially helped.
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