CRESCENDO OF WAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20862, 14 August 1942, Page 3

CRESCENDO OF WAR

BEFORE WINTER CRITICAL DAYS AHEAD WARNING TO BRITAIN (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) (10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Aug. 13. “The greater part of the 80 days which I described as the most critical of the war still remain and, indeed, there is every sign of the terrible symphony of war rising to a crescendo before the winter,” the Minister of Production, Captain O. Lyttelton, said to-d-ay, when he declared that he had no reason to alter the opinion he expressed three weeks ago that the next 80 days would be the most critical in history. The Russians had been dealt a terrible blow in the south, he said. In Egypt the situation was tense and he did not think he could find anywhere a grimmer and more desolate battlefield than that on which our troops were fighting. The Germans had a much shorter line of communica-tions,-but they had a worse desert line to contend with. Allied shipping losses had decreased in July and the toll of U-boats had increased, but severe attacks must still be expected. It was encouraging and heartening to see the American and Australian forces had assumed the offensive in the Pacific, but critical days were still to come. Never was there a greater need for buoyancy and vitality in our industries than now. Captain Lyttelton said that modern war was immensely long, partly because the democracies have always hoped for peace and lack of preparation had to be paid for again and again when others started wars. The Canadian Navy Minister, Mr. A. L. MacDonald, stated to-day, according to an Ottawa message, that the Canadian Navy had received a message of congratulation from the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A. V. Alexander. The congratulations were on the convoy work and, as the principal business of the Canadian Navy was submarine hunting, it mignt be assumed that the hunting was good.