9,000,000 Men Under Arms In The Empire

Northern Advocate, 1 May 1944, Page 6

9,000,000 Men Under Arms In The Empire

LONDON, April 30

The manner in which Hitler's destruction is coming about was described by the Minister for War Production (Mr. Oliver Lyttelton), speaking to-day. The complete Allied plan for Hitler’s destruction would be unfolded sooner or later, and everyone would be able to sec how closely the strategy of America. Russia and Britain had been combined, he said. The Allies had good plans, good generals and superior equipment, but no one could say how long the war would last, Time would shortly show that the whole structure of the military and industrial effort of Germany and her satellites had been deeply shaken by air raids, and that many hundreds of thousands of Russian, British and American lives had been saved by the sacrifices of the gallant airmen. Few people knew that the British Empire had under arms nearly 9,000,000 men. not including the Home Guard; also more than 500,000 women. This included India, the Dominions and the Colonial Empire, which had contributed about half: the total. It should be remembered that the British Commonwealth held the key to great strategical positions in the world upon which peace depended. Britons should not under-rate what the Allies were doing, but at the same time they should not under-rate the part they were play, ing.