DRIVE FOR VICTORY

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1940, Page 9

DRIVE FOR VICTORY

CRITICISM IN COMMONS MOBILISATION OF RESOURCES [BRITISH OFFICIAL'WIRELESS.] RUGBY, December 4. The Commons, resuming the Ad-dress-in-Reply debate, heard a series of speeches from back-benchers, almost all devoted to urging the Government to take more drastic action in mobilising the entire resources of the country for victory.

Lord Winterton expressed disappointment in what he considered the failure of the Government spokesman, to give a convincing answer to the criticisms voiced earlier in the debate. There was a general desire, he said, to see Britain take the offensive in the field, but the real offensive must first take place in the ■factories and shipyards. Lord Winterton Urged also the vital importance of harnessing the resources of India and Africa, to the provision of supplies for the Middle East campaigns. At Home, he advocated compulsory measures for the control of resources and .the transference and training of man-power. Mr Seymour Hicks (Labour) agreed that' on the Home front they must strip to the waist for victory. He echoed the demand frequently heard in the course of the debate, for a constant and vigorous attack against Italy.

Mr Buchanan expressed the view that a military victory by Germany was impossible, and one by Britain was also impossible. He said that the sooner there was a negotiated peace the happier he, as a pacifist, would be.

Mr Vernon Bartlett said that there had never been a war since the Crusades, in which the moral factors were so much on one hand, and the material factors on the other. He stressed the importance of—having this moral claim to world sympathy .—making sure that they secured the support to which they were entitled, by a clear declaration of war aims. Mr Milne (Conservative) said he was not satisfied that the full industry of the country was yet being thrown into the struggle. He asked for drastic taxation on private incomes, for the war effort.

Sir John Anderson (Lord President of the Council) warned Members against seeking immediate results, at the expense of the systematic development of productive capacity. The full weight of Britain’s effort would in due time be brought to bear crushingly on the enemy. Taking up Lord Winterton’s point, he called attention to the recent successful conference at Delhi, the recommendations of which had just become available in Britain, which would come to a decision with. • the /least possible delay. Dealing with the defence of shipping and oversea communications, specially on the western approaches, he said that Mr Churchill himself, with his unrivalled experience, was giving his constant attention, as Chairman of the Defence Committee, to these problems, and the Government and its technical advisers were doing everything possible to find an early and effective solution.

JAPANESE VIEW.

(Recd. Dec. 5, 12.20 p.m.). LONDON, December 4

“Britain only needs better propaganda to find new friends,” Viscount Hisakira Kano, London manager of the Yokohama Specie Bank, told the “Daily Express,” in an interview. “British propaganda is feeble. My countrymen are only just beginning to hear of your victory at Taranto, which has been smothered by German propaganda. Dr. Goebbels sent such a thick smokescreen round the world that the Japanese people have been blinded. It is Britain herself who has driven Japan into the arms of the Axis. The Japanese people are still your friends, but they want to know you are not going down to defeat.”

GENERAL SMUTS CONFIDENT BLOEMFONTEIN, December 4. General Smuts in a speech on the international situation, said: We’ve had serious setbacks, but the tide has turned, and there are indications that victory will again be ours. It is a harder task this time, but we go on. We want to take our part in upholding a free world, and standing with those who have stood by us for generations. I have no doubt when it is all over, it will be generally admitted- that South Africa in a vital moment of her history, chose rightly, however difficult the choice may have been,