SHIPPING LOSSES DECLINE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 291, 13 November 1941, Page 7

SHIPPING LOSSES DECLINE

MR CHURCHILL’S REVELATION

SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT

(United Press Association.—Copyright.—Ree. 10.47 a.m.)

RUGBY, Nov. 12

•The Prime Minister (Mr Churchill), in .a speech following the opening of the new session of Parliament, to-day, asked to be excused from discussing the war position as he had done a month ago, and said he would refrain from predictions about the future.

Air Churchill, however, revealed that a substantial reduction had taken place in shipping losses, which laid been cut frpm a monthly average of half a million tons in the four months ending with June to 180,000 tons a month in a similar period ending with October. Making allowances for new building, the net loss to the Mercantile Marine was less than one-fifth of what it was in the four months ending with June.

Mr Churchill said that a month ago lie had remarked on the prolonged silence of Hitler, which had apparently provoked the speech in which Hitler said Moscow would fall in a few days. Mr Churchill said that showed him how much wiser it would have been to' go on to keeping his mouth shut. The Premier then wittily dealt with the difficulties of pleasing everybody in a speech.

“If I gave an appreciation of the fighting on the Russian front I should get it either way. If the account were favourable I should be accused of fostering complacency; if grave, I should undoubtedly he spreading despondency and alarm, and the Russians would not thank me for underrating or disparaging their giant strength. With one fleeting exception, I am not going to refer to-day to the ever-chang-ing phases ol this tremendous struggle.”

j Mr Churchill said that, although ! there were good reasons to leave off j the publication of the monthly figures of sinkings h.v enemy action, there was no objection to giving the exact figures over a longer period. “In the four months ending with June we lost just over 2,(100,000 tons or an average of half a million tons a month. In the last four months ending October we lost less than threc-cpialters of a million lons, on an average of 180,000 tons n month. “But the facts are more favourable j | than is represented by the drop in the monthly average in the fourmonthly period of from half a million to 180.000 tons, because from the point of view of keeping alive the lines of communication and waging war you have to take into account not only what is lost, hut new -building. 1 do not intend to give exact) figures about new building, but. | making allowances for new build- | ing, the not loss to our Mercantile j INI urine, apart front captures from the enemy or United States assistance. has been reduced in the lust four months to a good deal less than one-filth of what it was in the previous four months.” “This has been done in spite of the fact that there have never been more U-boats or longrange aircraft than arc working now,” said Mr Churchill. AMERICAN BUILDING. “While that fact should lead us to increase our successlul exertions and should in no way favour an easy habit of mind, it docs give a solid and sober assurance that we shall be able to maintain our sea-borne traffic until the greatly increased American shipbuilding promised for 1912 comes into service.

WHAT HESS REVEALED

“The Americans are building merchant ships on a scale many times what we could do in this island. Having regard to the other many calls, our new shipbuilding is confined to a certain proportion of our resources, but America is launching an output of shipbuilding incomparably greater than we could jrroduce, surpassing the enormous and successful efforts she made in the last war. If we are able to get through this year we shall certainly find ourselves in a good supply of ships in 1942, and if the war against the U-boats and enemy aircrait should continue to prosper as it has done—about which, of course, there can be no guarantee—it seems to me the freedom Powers will be possessed of large quantities of ships in 1943 which will enable overseas operations to take a place utterly beyond British resources at the present time. ENEMY LOSSES.

“Meanwhile the destruction of enemy shipping is proceeding with

even greater violence than before. During the four months ending October there were sunk or seriously damaged nearly a million tons, in the Mediterranean the enemy’s losses have been particularly severe, and there is evidence that they ar finding it very difficult to reinforce eleven supply " their armies on the African shores. This last convoy was a particularly valuable one and its total destruction, together with the devastation being wrought by our submarines in the -Mediterranean, is certainly very much to be rejoiced over.

“There are at least 40.000 women, children, and non-combatants in Abyssinia,” proceeded the Prime -Minister. “Some time ago, guided by humanitarian instincts, we offered to let Italy take these people home i! they would be sent under necessary safeguards to ports on the Red Sea. Italy accepted the proposal and an agreement was reached on all details, hut Italy has never been able so far to send the ships necessary, because the destruction of her shipping is proceeding at such a high rate and to such a serious extent

“All this makes me hopeful—but I would not prophesy—that the German and Italian boast they ‘will’ take Suez by the end of A lay last is likely to remain unfulfilled by Christmas. But that is much more than, we had the right to expect when the Italians made war upon us and the French deserted us in the Mediterranean 18 months ago.”

Air Churchill proceeded to refer to the remarkable reduction in Britain’s shipping losses and the resultant satisfactory position of the nation’s food situation.

“In various remarks that Hess has let lull from time to time during his sojourn in our midst nothing has been more clear than that Hitler relied upon u starvation attack even more than upon an invasion to bring

us to our knees. His hopes were centred upon our starvation, as his boasts have made the world aware. As far as 1941 is concerned those hopes, at least, have been dashed to the ground, hut this only increases his need to come at us by direct invasion as soon as lie can screw up his courage and make the arrangements to take the plunge. “We must have everything working forward for the improved weather of the spring so that we shall he well prepared to meet any scale of attack that can be directed upon

Although the country was infinitely stronger than six or twelve months ago, the enemy had had ample time for preparation and if an attack was attempted, Air Churchill said, it was certain to be based upon a plan that had been thought out in every detail, with customary ruthlessness and thoroughness.

There was no doubt that the diet of the people had been severely curtailed, but it was still sufficient to ensure physical health. As a precautionary measure stocks necessary for a proper diet had been amassed and amounted to double the stocks in the. country at the outbreak of war. In the short space of two years the area under crops had been increased by no less than 45 per cent, and the corn harvest was 50 per cent, greater than in 7939. “Despite all the difficulties we must go on to produce still more, not only because of the ever-present menace to our importations from abroad, but because it is possible, as the war develops. that our military operations may make much more extensive demands on our shipping than it is now possible to meet.”—Official Wireless.