AIR SUPERIORITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20548, 7 May 1941, Page 7

AIR SUPERIORITY

MUST BE ACHIEVED CAUSE OF DEMOCRACY ROOSEVELT INSTRUCTION ALL STEPS NECESSARY (Reed. May 7, 9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, May 0. President Roosevelt yesterday sent a letter to the Secretary for War, Mr. H. L. Stimson. urging an increase in the production of heavy bombers -with all possible speed." The letter proceeded: “Command of the air by tire democracies must and can be achieved. Every month the democracies are gaining in the relative strength of the air forces. We must see to it that the process is hastened and that democratic superiority in the. air is made absolute.” Mr. Roosevelt gave Mr. Stimson carte blanche authority to take whatever steps may be necessary to achieve the goal. Mr. Roosevelt told Mr. Stimson that he was ordering the office for production management tc provide appropriate priority ratings to prepare for all-out production. Bombing of Germany Informed circles said that rapid reinforcement of the Royal Air Force for all-out bombing of Germany is the objective of Mr. Roosevelt’s emergency order to speed up the production of long-range bombers, the eventual goal of which is reported to be 300 monthly. Mr. Roosevelt to-day summoned a special meeting of the “war cabinet” consisting of Mr. Stimson, the Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, the secretary of the Navy, Colonel F. Knox and the Treasurer, Mr. H. Morgenthau, to act on his request for greatly-increased bomber production io give the democracies the command in the air.

The meeting was also attended by the Chief of Staff, General Marshall. Admiral Stark, and General Arnold, who have just returned from London with a report on Britain’s aerial needs.