ENEMY RESERVES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 115, 10 February 1944, Page 5

ENEMY RESERVES

Call On Industry And Army

GERMAN STATEMENTS (Receive'd February 9, 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, February 8. Two German Ministers optimistically referred to the German war production today, according to Berlin radio. The Minister of Production, Professor Speer, said: “In the fifth year of the war every reserve available must be brought to bear in the decisive battles which, are imminent. Thanks to the present state of our armaments, which is still favourable in spite of the enemy terror attacks, the necessary prerequisites for this exist.”

The Minister of. Labour, Dr. Ley, said: “In spite of phosporous leaves aud high explosives our production and output are steadily rising. The German miner in the fifth year of the war is producing more than in the first' year. The foundry worker is producing more armaments, industry is- producing more, and the farmer is producing more.” Berlin' radio’s military commentator, Colonel Dietmar, in his weekly review of the war, said: “The German forces are facing an. overpowering enemy, who can be in strength against any part of the front he wishes, whereas we can only oppose ‘fire-brigade Units,' which are sent wherever the fighting flares up. “The fighting in Italy is a great strain, and the Allies will endeavour to pin down there as many of our divisions as they can. But above everything there looms the shadow of the landing in the west. The Allies are making great preparations for if, and will endeavour to tie down our forces in other places before making the big landing. The High Command must keep its head to avert the danger.” The time had come, he said, for the Germans to use their carefully-hoarded reserves, but with care and only at points where they were immediately required. AH available men must therefore be drafted to the fighting lines, and the rear areas of the battlefield must be combed for soldiers.

Unconfirmed reports reaching Switzerland say that Hitler is ill at his headquarters ivith a bad attack of influenza.