U.S. AID TO WAR PRODUCTION

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23349, 7 June 1941, Page 9

U.S. AID TO WAR PRODUCTION

Belgian Minister’s Survey DETAILS GIVEN OF OUTPUT RUGBY, June 5. The Belgian Finance Minister (M. Camille Gutt). interviewed on his return from a visit to the United States, said that he was greatly impressed •with the growth of American production to help the Allied war effort. One steel factory was turning out a 7000-ton shin every five days and a tanker plant which he visited would soon be turning out a new tanker every week. These two plants together would be turning out 1,000.000 tons of shipping a year. He saw a factory for aeroplane engines opened at the end of May where the ground had not even been broken last November and which would be capable of producing 50 engines a day by the end of July and in a few months 100 a day. • The same firm was building a factory for aeroplane production which started erection in May and would be producing five machines a day by next January. At present, he said, the atmosphere in the United States was tense and sympathetic, but there was no war atmosphere. Current American opinion was mostly for the Allies, when the war news was good, but when it was bad people were inclined to say that it was no use helping the British. Only an educated minority realised that when things were bad help was most urgent. For months that had been the whole of the American problemr However, he had returned .full of confidence. The peak of American help would never be reached without the United States being at war. Still he had seen victory making its first faltering steps which would gradually become firmer. Referring to his visit to Belgian troops in Canada. M. Gutt said that he had insnected them with the GovernorGeneral of Canada (the Duke of Athlone) and spoke to them in English, afterwards repeating his speech in French for the benefit of the FrenchCanadians among the British troops taking part in the proceedings. STRIKE AT AIRCRAFT PLANT (Received June 6, 8 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, June 5.. The United Automobile Workers called a strike to-day at the Inglewood (California) plant of the North American Aviation Company, which holds 200,000,000 dollars worth of British and American aeroplane contracts. GERMAN RULE METHODS IN OCCUPIED COUNTRIES ♦ r LONDON, June 5. The Germans are plastering Holland with posters trying to make farm work popular. This is believed to be merely a prelude •to the wholesale conscription of Dutch labour. Already 100,000 Dutch workers have been sent to Germany. Opposition to the Germans continues in Belgium.' Ten minutes after Germans pasted up anti-British posters, none remained. The posters were renewed, with the same result. In the Quisling state of Croatia, four military tribunals have been' set up and hundreds of Croats are to be tried for opposing the Germans. The Crotian arch terrorist, Dr. Auton Pavelic has been called to Germany. The reason for this is not known. In Rumania, sentences ranging from three to 15 years’ imprisonment have been imposed on a number of students for singing patriotic songs at a football match between German and Rumanian teams. •