WAR’S TURNING POINT

Grey River Argus, 19 November 1942, Page 5

WAR’S TURNING POINT

Too Soon to Exult ROOSEVELT ON WAR-TIME SECRECY. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.](Rec. 8.45 ) NEW YORK. Nov. 17. President Roosevelt addressing the “New York Herald-Tribune” forum, sn’d- “In war-time the Government obviouslv cannot alwavs give people the news, because of a danger ol helping those trying to destroy us. On the other hand, those persons not possessing the facts inevitably speak from guesswork or doubtful informat’on. We must not lend ears to the glamour of politics, or to. criticism from those actuated by political motives. I have made a constant effort to keep politics out of the fighting of this war, but I confess that my foot slipped once. About ten days before the Congress elections, one ot our aircraft-oarriers was torpedoed i in the South-west Pacific. She was unable to make port. She was destroved bv our forces. We in Washington did not know whether the enemy was aware of her sinking. .At that ’time a great issue was being raised, in Congress land in public vehicles of information concerning the suppression of the news from the fighting’ fronts. There was a division of opinion among the responsible authorities. Here came my mistake. I yielded to the clamour, realising that, if the news was to be given out two or three weeks later, it would publicly be charged that I had suppressed the news until after the election. Shortly after that protests came from the Admirals in command in the South-west Pacific and at Hawaii, on the ground that the Japi anese, probably, had no informatio of the sinking, and that we were hand'ng them information on a silver platter. Although we had not revealed the name of the carrier, we gave them a military advantage that thev otherwise would not have hadThis confession illustrates the fact in war-time, the conduct of war comes absolutely first. People know that none of their mahanable rights are taken awav through the failure to d'sclose, for a reasonable length ot time, facts which Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo would give their eye teeth 1o learn Loose talk delays victorv. Loose talk is damp that gets; in the powder,. We prefer Ito keen our powder dry. Our battle lines stretch from Kiska to Murmansk, and from Tunisia to Guadalcanal. Gu will grow longer as our Jffi. vance. We have It will continue uphill all . There can be no coasting to victory. “During the past fortnight we have had /a great deal of good news. It would seem that the turning point ol the war has at last been reached. But thi ? s Ys no time for exultation. There is no t?me for anything but fighting and working to win.”