Amazing Fortitude of British People

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 121, 23 May 1941, Page 6

Amazing Fortitude of British People

Terrific Energy in Battle of Atlantic ME. MENZIES’ IMPRESSIONS OP WORLD TOUR F’cr Press Association. AUCKLAND, May 22. “One of the things that impressed me most was the spirit of the people of Britain, including and particularly the women," said the Prime Minister of Australia (Mr. R. G. Menzies) in an interview. “A great deal has been written and spoken about the way they stand bombing, and it is not exaggerated, but understated. No words can describe the amazing fortitude of these people. I travelled over a great deal of England, concentrating on areas that had been most attacked, and I visited numbers of factories employing thousands of hands. Not once did I come across a person who wanted an early peace or a compromise." In reply to a question, Mr. Menzies said he found no sign of anything like “air-raid neurosis." The people seemed to get accustomed to the danger. “Air raids are not pleasant," he remarked. “I was in a big one at Plymouth and there was another a fortnight before I left London—a beauty. They are frightful while they are on, but the people soon recover when they are over. In spite of the constant bombing war production is greater than when the air attacks started. “It will take many years to wipe out London at the present rate of progress and that rate cannot be maintained. Daylight bombing has ceased since the R.A.F. knocked it out last year, and night bombing is becoming less profitable each month. It must reach a point at which the ratio of loss will make it not worth while. Tremendous advances have been made in night fighting." Asked if he had seen any of the new aeroplanes now in use by the Royal Air Force, Mr. Menzies said he had inspected them all. The new heavy bombers were superior in range and bomb-carry-ing capacity to anything Germany could put into the air. The new fighters had incredible speed and the tests he had seen were beyond description.

11 In the battle of the Atlantic Britain is concentrating terrific energy on a variety of means which I am unable to describe," he remarked. “On this subject I am an optimist, though I do not underestimate the difficulty. American patrols are of first-rate importance." Mr. Menzies mentioned that he had attended every meeting of the War Cabinet while in London. In Ottawa he had had a long conference with the Canadian Cabinet and had been called upon for five speeches in one day. Asked how Mr. Churchill was bearing the burden of his responsibilities, he said he found him even more vigorous and apparently less tired than at their last meeting three years ago. President Roosevelt, whom he had seen six years ago, was in bed with a bronchial affection but was nevertheless a miracle of vigour, and their conversation was one of the most stimulating he had had in the whole course of his tour.