NEWS OF THE WEEK
THOSE who expected that in the Labour Party Con- ference at Southport, history, as made last year at Hastings, Would repeat itself, haVe been deprived of a mild sensation. Last year the Socialist League won an emotional victory, which was duly registered in Party resolutions. This year—so quick are the changes —the attack faded away, and the official programme met with the politest of criticism from Sir Stafford Cripps and - the stalwarts of the militant left wing. But it must be admitted that the Executive had gone as far as possible in copious generalizations to meet the demands of the Socialist League. Sir Stafford Cripps was able to agree that most of his demands were met by the official programme, and that he had never intended to demand more " emergency powers " than the emergency required. Indeed, if the Left emphasized its desire that the next Labour Government should arm itself with a sufficiency of economic power, apart from political power, there were critics like Mr. Lees Smith on the Right who found that the Executive was heading for a conflict with the Crowd.. But the Labour Party must not be too strictly judged by its bark. The Conference really showed that the more moderate counsels of the trade unionists are in the ascendant.
