The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1940. BRITAIN’S NEEDS.

Evening Star, Issue 23744, 27 November 1940, Page 6

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1940. BRITAIN’S NEEDS.

In the course of some pithy remarks on British censorship the London correspondent of the 'New York Times’ states that the censorship has harmed Great Britain’s cause more than a whole night's bombing by the Germans. The essence of his complaint is that, ■while Britain wants war materials from the United States, which she can get only by informing that country of the extremity of such need, every American correspondent causes the censor “to rear up on his hind legs when he suggests that everything is not hunkydory.” It is well known, of course, that there is nothing “ hunkydory ” about warfare in any shape or form. We do not need the outspoken colloquialisms of American correspondents to tell us that. Yet something has to be said in favour of the remarks of this ‘New York Times’ man. The British policy of avoiding any suggestion of abject appealing or whining for help from across the Atlantic is most admirable. It was perhaps a necessity in the earlier stages of the conflict, when the country’s prowess and morale in the face of a modern blits&ricg had still to be tested. In other words, it would never have done for Great Britain to “squeal before she was hurt.” Now. however, the Americans are quite convinced of the fine stuff of which the British are made, and, realising that their own battles are being fought for them in the last important stronghold of democracy in Europe* are keen to help to the limit of their powers. The United States, to all intents and purposes, is a partner in the democratic firm, and, in order that there should be no misunderstanding of the position, is entitled to be taken fully into British confidence. In these circumstances the censors would bo wise to relax to a more judicious extent the tight rein they are keeping on the news.

Both Lord Lothian and Sir Walter Citrine appear to hold the opinion that the Empire’s allies in all but the provision of man-power (whicli is not required) should be told the truth, even at the risk of releasing items likely to bo seized on by the Axis Powers as weapons to whip up the bagging spirit of thoir people. After all, if Britain can secure the “ planes, and more planes " asked for by Sir Walter Citrine and bomb objectives in Germany and Italy with increasing fury, the Goehbels propaganda department and the Mussolini “ mirrors of truth ” will face a hopeless task in trying to convince the Axis peoples that “ everything is hunkyclory ” with them. The war is rapidly advancing to the stage when words of any kind lose their significance. They must be replaced by deeds, and America is ready and willing to help Britain to accumulate the weapons with which to perform them. Sir Walter Citrine in a few seconds told the convention of the American Federation of Labour what American correspondents in England have been anxious to write for some weeks—namely, that bombing is affecting the British output. How could conditions bo otherwise? The Nazis have at 'last learned the stupidity of indiscriminate air attacks over wide areas and are concentrating more than formerly on the war industries. There is no need for undue alarm over that development. It was bound to come sooner or later. The industrial areas of Western Germany. equally vulnerable, have been taking a pounding for longer than those in Great Britain, and, although the (Reich piled up a lead in aircraft manufacture before the war. it cannot compete much longer with an adversary whicli has the benefit of increasingly heavy transatlantic production. On the subject of finance, moreover, little doubt remains that satisfactory arrangements between Britain and America will be made. The “ cash and carry ” rule which America imposes on her furnishing of munitions puts a strain on Great Britain’s dollar _ resources which could not bo indefinitely continued. Lord Lothian has drawn attention to that aspect, and since Americans are convinced that their safety, hardly less than that of Great Britain, depends on the unceasing and increasing supply of munitions, they will see that the supply is not hindered by financial requirements that are too rigid.