One Of Main Aims Of Landing Achieved

Northern Advocate, 26 February 1944, Page 3

One Of Main Aims Of Landing Achieved

(8.0. W.) RUGBY. February 24 Viscount Cranborne, Dominions Secretary, in the House of Lords debate on the general military and political situation, said none could question the wisdom of the landing near Rome to fry to;break the deadlock on the main line, but the failure of the beachhead landing to defeat the German armies in Italy had led to some disappointment. Nevertheless, the commanders never took a light-hearted vie wof the prospects. General Alexander was not an unduly cautious general, as the final battles in Tunisia had shown, but was an extremely experienced general who knew better than anyone the quality of the troops he was fighting against. One of the main purposes of the landing had been achieved. It had pinned down in ever-increasing numbers, hard-pressed German divisions on the Italian front and forced the German Command to bring troops from North Italy and further still.

Speaking of events in the Far East, he said he would like, as Dominions Secretary, to record his profound admiration for the Australian and New Zealand troops, . who had played a prominent part fn the Pacific campaign. Speaking on reconstruction, Viscount Cranborne said it was vitally important to take every practicable step to bridge the gap between war and peace. That was the essence of some of the main decisions at the Teheran conference.

In conclusion, Viscount Cranborne said that the present was the testing time. It was not by the past and not by the future, but by our bearing here and now, that we should be judged.