BATTLE OF ATLANTIC

Evening Star, Issue 24007, 4 October 1941, Page 10

BATTLE OF ATLANTIC

NOT WON YET BCUIID TO BE LONG-FOUGHT-OUT CONTEST (British Official Wireless.) (Roc. 10.58 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 3. The satisfactory news relating to the Battle of the Atlantic given by Mr Churchill in his House of Commons statement and the announcement by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food relating to the ability to concentrate on the accumulation of secondary foodstuffs, naturally have been received with great pleasure. Competent commentators draw attention to that part of Mr Churchill’s statement in which he said: “I deprecate premature rejoicing over those considerable facts. I indulge in no sanguine predictions about the future. Wo must expect that the enemy U-boat warfare, which is now conducted by a larger number of U-boats than ever before, will be intensified.” The Battle of the Atlantic is bound to be a long-fonght-out contest, and although the British counter-submarine forces are* growing rapidly in size the area over which the campaign as a whole is being waged is very widespread, and the services of the Navy are wanted directly or indirectly in every theatre of the war. The Battle of the Atlantic,is bound to fluctuate, and although all competent observers express absolute confidence in the outcome the balance is bound occasionally to swing in favour of Germany. As Mr Churchill pointed out at the present time, despite any calls of the Russian campaign, there are more U-boats operating against Britain than ever before. The enemy’s production of these craft is something upon which he has devoted particular concentration, at the same time assuring that the yards where they are built bo widely dispersed as possible. Undoubtedly, the iR.A.F. attacks caused dislocation, but the Air Force, like the Navy, has a great multitude of duties to perform and cannot be everywhere at once. Informed quarters express the opinion that while there is every reason to say that the Navy is performing a difficult task superlatively well it is indeed too early to say that the Battle of the Atlantic has been won. PEEL INTERNMENT CAMP SEVERAL MEMBERS OF I.R.A. REMOVED LONDON, Oct. 3. Following swiftly on Mr Herbert Morrison’s statement, 20 of those interned at Peel, including several members of the 1.8. A., were removed from Peel camp to prison, and will bo transferred to a prison in England tomorrow.

THREE MEN CHARGED (Rec. 11.50 a:m.) LONDON, Oct. 3. Three men were committed for trial on a charge of attempting to escape from the Isle of Man internment camp. Two refused to plead as they were members of the I.R.A.