WAR NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 24056, 1 December 1941, Page 8

WAR NEWS

BATTLE OF ATLANTIC

FIRST LORD’S SUMMARY FURTHER INVASION WARNING (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Nov. 29. “ The Battle of the Atlantic is a battle in which there is no lull. It is a battle which is certainly not yet won.” The First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr A. V. Alexander, gave this warning when addressing a “ warships week ” meeting _at Blackpool. “It is a battle in which we have so far gat through by working our all too few escort ships to the limit of endurance of material as well as men. The number of days at sea and the number of miles s;teamed in a year by some of these ships are beyond what one would have thought possible.” Mr Alexander, however, gave a cheering reminder that British imports had steadily increased since January. Commenting further on the Battle of the Atlantic, he said: “ Our building programmes and our naval strategy were studied and - decided before the war on what seemed a perfectly reasonable assumption that in a war with Germany we should enjoy the assistance of the very large and—as regards many units—modern and efficient French fleet. Tasks calculated in terms of two navies have, since the defection of France, had to be performed in the main by our own Navy alone, although I am not forgetting the invaluable direct and indirect aid we received. The tasks themselves have multiplied or assumed proportions beyond anything that could have been foreseen until they form an aggregate unprecedented in our long sea history. In 1914-18 we had the great navies of our Allies at our side. Then air menace hardly existed, then we had the enemy pinned into the Baltic and Heligoland. Now we have been fighting for months alone against more powerful and speedier U-boats _ employing novel tactics, against raiders not improvised as was the case last time, but specially built for their task, against a new and deadly form of mine, against fiercer attack from the air, and against _an enemy in possession of bases which last time were at our service ” Mr Alexander added these words about invasion: “ Watch and work against invasion, which ceases_ not by day or night. The danger of invasion is in direct ratio to the vigilance of our guard against it.”

ABYSSINIAN CAMPAIGN

REMAINING OUTPOSTS GALLED ON TO SURRENDER (Rec. 8 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 30. A Nairobi communique states that there are still a few Italian outposts which have not surrendered. Leaflets directing the garrisons to surrender have been dropped on these outposts by our aircraft. FLAMES AND TANKS PRACTICAL GIFTS TO MR CHURCHILL (British Official Wireless.) ’(Rec. 11.10 a.m.) RUGBY, Nov. 30. ‘.Among the presents Mr Churchill received, for his birthday to-day are planes from South America, tanks from the West Indies and the Dutch East Indies. His birthday will not interfere with hjs .work. “ Best wishes for the continuance of your difficult but magnificent task,” wrote the Belgian Prime Minister in a message, while the Prime Minister of Norway thanked Mr'Churchill for his “ untiring efforts in the pursuit of victory.” MR CHURCHILL'S FAMILY ALL ENGAGED IN WAR WORK (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 11.10 a.m.) RUGBY, Nov. 30. All three of Mr Churchill’s daughters are now with the forces. Sarah (Mrs Yic. Oliver) is in the W.A.A.F., Diana (Mrs Duncan SAndys) is nursing, and the youngest (Mary Churchill) is in the A.T.S. The-Prime Minister’s only son (Major Randolph Churchill) is in the Middle East.

GREETINGS FROM FAR AND NEAR

(British Official Wireless.) '(Rec. 12.20 iJ.m.) RUGBY, Nov. 30. Mr Churchill received birthday greetings and good wishes from the King and Queen, Queen Mary, Queen Wilhelmina, tiie Grand Duchess of Luxemburg, representatives of the Allies, friendly Governments, dominion Prime Ministers, Colonial Governments, the Army of the Nile, and also many official bodies and public and private persons in all parts of the world.