MUCH LARGER PROBLEM

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 239, 6 September 1940, Page 7

MUCH LARGER PROBLEM

INVASION OF BRITAIN STRENGTH AT HOME AND ABROAD (United. Press Association—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright.) ; Received September 6, 11.10 a.m. RUGBY, Sept. 5. ' “No one must'suppose the danger of invasion is past, but I am not giving away any military secret if I say we are very much better off than we were a few months ago, and if the problem of invading Britain was a difficult one in June it has - become far more difficult and a far larger problem in September,” said Mr Churchill While all preparations for home defence have been going forward on a gigantic scale we have not hesitated to send a continuous stream of convoys with reinforcements to the Middle East. In particular a few days ago we found it possible almost to double the effective strength of our fleet in the Eastern Mediterranean by sending some of our most powerful vessels to reinforce the flag of Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief in the Eastern Mediterranean. This movement was plainly visible to the Italians but was not molested by them.

“We have every intention of maintaining our positions there with our utmost strength, and of increasing our sea power and the control which follows from sea power throughout the Mediterranean, not only in the Eastern Basin, but in the Western Basin. In this way both at home and abroad we shall persevere along our course however the winds may blow.”

TRANSFER OF DESTROYERS.

Referring to the agreement with the United States, Air Churchill said: “These memorable transactions between Britain and the United States, which I foreshadowed when I last addressed the House, have now been completed to the general satisfaction of the British and American peoples, and to the encouragement of our friends all over the world.

period of the war. “So far as air attack is concerned we have found it to be up to the present far less severe than what we prepared ourselves to endure, and what we are still ready to endure,” he said. He instanced the fact that over 150,000 beds had stood open in the war hospitals for over a year. INSURANCE SCHEAIE.

“It would be a mistake to try to read into the official Notes more than the documents bear on their faces. The exchanges are simply measures of mutual assistance rendered to one another by two friendly nations in a spirit of confidence, sympathy and goodwill. These measures are linked together in a formal agreement and they must be accepted or rejected. Only very ignorant persons would suggest that the transfer of the American destroyers. to the British flag constitutes the slightest violation of international law, or affects in the smallest degree the non-belligerency of the United States.

The damage as the result of the air attack had been far less than estimated by the committee which had considered and decided against the possibility of an insurance scheme gainst air raid damage to property. He had, therefore, asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to consider the best way of making a further review of the possibility of such a scheme in the light of the tacts as now known. Meanwhile the Chancellor had agreed, in addition to the satisfactory provisions already made in respect, of personal injuries and the immediate needs of those smitten, to abolish the upper limits of payment to such persons for clothing and to pay up to 100 per- cent, of such damage to claimants of income not above £4OO a year. Similar treatment would bo accorded workmen whose tools had been lost or damaged, and to .small retailers to enable them to replenish stocks essential for the continuance of trading. RAID WAltiN ING SYSTEM.

“No doubt Hitler will not like this transference of destroyers. I do not doubt he will pay the United States out if ever he gets the chance. That is why 1 am very glad the armed air and naval frontiers of the United States have been advanced along a wide arc into the Atlantic Ocean, and that this will enable them to take the danger by the throat while it is still hundreds of miles away from their homeland.

Turning to the system of air raid warnings, which he felt might well be revised, Air Churchill said: “There is really no use and no good sense in having these prolonged banshee bowlings of sirens two or three times a day over -wide areas simply because hostile aircraft arc Hying to or from some target which no one can possibly know or even guess. I have therefore asked the various departments concerned to review the whole position as a matter of urgency. *

; STRENGTH AT SEA. , • “The Admiralty tell us also s that they are very glad to Have these fifty destroyers, and they will coni* in most 'convenient- to bridge the gap which inevitably intervenes before our considerable war programme of new construction conics into service. “I suppose the House realises we are going to be a good deal stronger next year at sea than we are now, though that is quite strong enough for the work in hand.

'‘There will be no delay in bringing the American destroyers into active service. In fact, British crews are already meeting them at various ports whero they are being delivered. That is a case of what one might call the long arm of coincidence.” Referring to recent events affecting Rumania, Air Churchill said: “We do not propose to recognise any territorial change which takes place during the war unless with the .free consent and goodwill of the parties concerned.” A FIGHTING AIONTH.

Turning to the air activity of the last two months, Mr Churchill said though August had been a real fighting month, neither side had put out its real strength. The Germans made a very substantial and important efiort to gain mastery, and they certainly put forth a larger proportion of their total air strength than we had found necessary up to the present to employ against them.

“Their attempts to dominate the It.A.F. and our anti-aircraft defences by the daily attacks have proed very co6tly to them,” he said. “The broad figures of three to one in machines and six to one in pilots and crews, of which we aro assured, do not by any means represent the total injury inflicted upon the enemy. “We must be prepared for heavier fighting in this month of September. The enemy’s need to obtain a decision is very great, and if he has the numbers with which we hitherto have credited him he should be able to magnify and multiply lus attacks during September. Firm confidence has been expressed by the R-A.i*. in its ability to largely increased scale of attack.

Mr Churchill, referring to the great expansion in the R.A.F., said Bri am was far nearer the German.total ai - craft than was expecten at this early