FACED THE FACTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 24, 29 January 1942, Page 7

FACED THE FACTS

AMERICA IN THE WAR

TASK FOR THE NAVY

(Rec. noon.)

RUGBY, Jan. 28,

The United States Ambassador, Mr. John Winant, speaking in London, said: "When war came to the United States in the attack on Pearl Harbour we were taken by surprise. We were too far away from the tactics of this war to recognise fully that the peace discussions by Japan were simply a cover for the treacherous attack. We evaluated that experience and openly and frankly faced the facts. "We came into this war on a different basis of preparedness than when 'we engaged in the last war. The regu- • lar army and navy quotas have been filled for a long time. The State militia for the last 20 years has had a Federal status and has been in the field for over a year. Selective service was adopted a year and a half ago, with the national army already in the field. We had a large Officer Reserve Corps, organised and maintained since the last war. With a population of approximately 140.000,000, we plan to recruit an army of 7,000,000.

"We know the story of the Battle of the Atlantic, and if it is necessary that our navy should take time to re-establish its supremacy in the Pacific, with whatever auxiliary sir force is required, it will be done, and its complete supremacy re-established. We never had a better navy. Its fighting quality has already been witnessed in the Macassar Straits, and its marines in Wake Island and the army under General Mac Arthur in the Philippines." AMERICA'S YOUTH. Speaking of man-power in America, Mr. Winant said that they all knew how gallantly the youth of Britain had carried high the staff of courage in defence of their country, and he wished to tell them that there were no better young men in the world than the youth of America, none braver, none more generous, and none better equipped or more determined to see the fight through to the finish. More women successfully worked for a living in America than in any country in the world.

"Too many people here are influenced by screen flashes of easy living which are presumed to paint life at home for your amusement— that is not America," said Mr. Winant.

There were two things, Mr. Winant said, that he wished to refer to regarding the war programme. In the year which he had been in London every bit of Britain's war experience that had been so hardly gained had been given to the United States freely, and all of it was being built into the equipment that was being poured out of the factories and shipyards today. The other fact was that war production was based on the machine tool industry. Germany recognised that years ago, and in the United States the automobile industry enlarged and rebuilt the machine tool industry. American industry was prepared to deliver today because it had those tools.

When the Prime Minister told them yesterday that in the last six months Britain had doubled the production of certain vital needs, he paid a great tribute to the workmen of Britain. Mr. Winant wished them to know that the workmen of America were doing the same kind of jobs.

Referring to the arrival of American forces in the British Isles, Mr. Winant said that sea, land, and air forces had already taken up their stations. It was the first step on the highway towards ultimate victory.—B.O.W.