EMPLOYMENT AND DEMOBILISATION
Sm,—In the course of a statement in the House of Commons on January 24th, Mr. Ness Edwards gave this assurance: " So far as my Right Hon. Friend the Minister of Labour is concerned, he is not worried about the bogey of unemployment—not worried at all. We can do with all the men we can get as quickly as we can get them." A couple of weeks ago the Air Ministry, in a circular letter in answer to the report of troubles in different air stations, gave the following' ex- planation concerning speed of demobilisation: " A free-for-all release regardless of national commitments, the capacity of industry to absorb the men, or the capacity to bring men home would be administratively easy, but would result in complete chaos." I think few people would question that the first and third obstacles mentioned by the Air Ministry are legitimate, but how about " the capacity of industry to absorb the mcn"? An enormous majority of those in the Forces are impatient to be demobilised as soon as reasonably possible ; for their sake I hope that the position taken by Mr. Ness Edwards, and not that suggested by the Air Ministry, it the official one. It would be a comfort to have a clear statement from the Government that no considerations will be allowed to slovi down the rate of demobilisation except considerations of our commitments and of available transport.—Yours; &c.,
Previous page
