OUTPUT TREBLED IN 15 MONTHS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 283, 28 November 1940, Page 7

OUTPUT TREBLED IN 15 MONTHS.

BRITISH WAR EFFORT.

Candid Review By Member ; Of War Cabinet. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 2 p.m.) RUGBY, Nov. 27. Mr. Arthur Greenwood, member of the War Cabinet, in the House of ] Commons, made a statement on war j production. He referred to the j (effects of recent enemy raids on in- , dustrial centres, and reminded the ; House that Britain was still some way from being fully armed. Still ; greater efforts to increase output , would be necessary in preparation for taking the offensive. In the last 15 months, he said, the output of war equipment from British factories had been more than trebled, and in the case of some material, multiplied by four. Since May there had been some substantial increases in output. Shipbuilding had increased by over 50 per cent—an excellent foundation for further expansion. Effects of Air Raids. Dealing with the effects of air raids, Mr. Greenwood said that it would be folly to deny-that damage had been done to production by enemy air attacks, but if the Germans' boasts of the weight of bombs dropped in Britain was to be accepted as accurate, then by that measure he was entitled to say that the effects on production were surprisingly small. At the beginning the interruption to production during alerts had seriously affected output, but for some time past the system of factory spotters, and the determination of workers to carry on, had substantially reduced the amount of interference occasioned by enemy air action. There remained the loss due to actual damage or destruction of plant. Mr. Greenwood said that he must admit that recent enemy air attacks had retarded progress, but there was steady expansion in output, of which he had given the House ample evidemce. Beyond that, the most complete candour did not require him to go. "I say it ha£ not eaten to any serious extent into our productive capacity," said Mr. Greenwood. '"It has embarrassed us—and we shall have more difficulties of this kind to face— but up to now the structure stands virtually intact, though temporarily dislocated." The Minister said he had spent last week-end at Coventry and Birmingham —"places which have felt the full force of Hitler's aerial attacks on our industrial power.'' Describing his impression of the factories which had been hit, he said that whilst smoke was still rising from the ruins active steps were being taken to restart production. "I could not have believed that in »o short a space of time industrial recovery could be so consistent." The Minister spoke appreciatively of the ever-increasing flow of orders from the United States. They were now in a positiou with the United States ito co-operate the joint need of the two countries. Shipping Position. Turning to the shipping position, the Minister spoke gravely. He compared it with April, 1917, and said that though it was worse than it should, be, it was not so bad as it might be in view of Germany's use of the Channel ports, and a new factor in aerial attack. Regarding rebuilding, he said they had not built up to the programme they had laid down for themselves, but they were not far from it, and an enormous difference had been made by shipping which had been captured or transferred. I he answer to the U-boat and bombing menace lay in counter-measures, on which the Admiralty and Air Ministry were working unremittingly. They would find means to defeat this menace. "If we do not," he said, "our plight is going to become a very serious one indeed." Mr. Greenwood made the- point that despite the sinking of valuable cargoes and ships, the loss of war material in transit to Britain was quite "unsubstantial. Summing up, Mr. Greenwood said that, taking both home production and supplies from overseas of war material, there was no shadow of doubt that Britain was growing stronger. If it was true that further efforts were called for, it was equally true that further efforts were being made. Finally, they were entitled to take ' encouragement from the reverse side of the picture—the troubles of the enemy. R.A.F. attacks on industrial targets ; of military importance in Germany, and ■ the silent but inflexible pressure of the i- "blockade, were undermining Hitler's striking power in spite of his years of i deliberate planning and the preparation i of war reserves, which he accumulated . to bring about the subjugation of Europe. , The R.A.F. was continuing with ini tensity the attacks on German industry , and communications, which all evidence - suggested were destroying the powers • of recuperation of the German economic [ system.