PRODUCTION IN WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 40, 17 February 1941, Page 7

PRODUCTION IN WAR

BRITISH INDUSTRY

GRIM DETERMINATION

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received February 17, 12.50 p.m.)

RUGBY, February 16

Broadcasting to Canada this afternoon, Mr. Bevin, Minister of Labour, spoke of the thankfulness felt by every British person for Canada's great contribution in men and materials towards the preservation of the British family of nations.

Of the British industrial organisation Mr. Bevin said: "If I sum up the spirit of British industry generally, I should say that they are carrying out what I was privileged to ask them to do when I took office—never to allow it to be said that a member of the forces went short of equipment or supplies or that the war was prolonged by a minute because of any neglect or act of theirs. It is in that spirit that British industrial life is being carried on."

The task of defeating Hitler, he said, was very great. By forced labour and intimidation of conquered countries he had brought under his control millions of people, plants, and raw materials. "Now, if we utilise every man and woman in this country on war production we cannot hope to have the numbers he has, but we have something he has not —a united nation," said Mr. Bevin. "Millions of people now under his control would throw off the yoke at the first opportunity, but we have an army of man- and womanpower knit together and determined not to waste or lose a moment of production. In addition, with your help we can*see the balance being made good, and.it will more than offset the millions Hitler has been able to exploit. There are the great dominions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, as well as India and the peoples of the great Colonial Empire, and all these have the same will and grim determination that Hitler shall be defeated."