CEASELESS FLOW

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 29 July 1941, Page 2

CEASELESS FLOW

GOODS FROM AMERICA AID TO BRITAIN OUTLINED BY MR HOPKINS Rugby, July *27 Mr Harry Hopkins. President Roo.se. veil's personal representative and sup er\ isor of the lend or lease programme added in his broadcast to-night:— “Let me give a brief summary o some of the war material which ha; come from arsenals and granarie: across the sea. "During the past several month; aeroplanes now numbered in thousands. made in American factories. hav< been flown or shipped across the A; lantic. These range from the large, bombers to the fastest fighters. Thc> are in combat now. “I have seen in the past week greai Boeing four-engined bombers returr from Germany. A vast programme foi building thousands of these giants ol the air is far advanced —and Hitler i; not able to move his factories fai enough to escape their devastating power of destruction. "America has already sent severa hundred tanks to places all over the Empire. Many more are on the way. “Ocean-going ships, many of their o;! tankers, have been transferred tc Britain. The greatest merchant shipbuilding programme ever undertaker is in progress. Night and day, the riveting never ceases. We can promise there will be ships to carry the food and oil and munitions. AMERICAN EFFORT • To-day American-made tanks art caterpillaring over the sands of the Middle Eastern district. To-day Ameri-can-made aeroplanes of every sort are roaring into combat wherever the Luftwaffe shows fight. To-day the factories of England are in full production. Machine tools sing a joyous song, and part of this symphony of industry comes from American-made machine tools. “And yet we realise that our part today has not been great. Our conti l ition has been but a modest part of your great war effort. The blood, toil, sweat and tears have been yours, not curs. And we realise this. There is a reason for our apparen: slowness. Factories geared to peacetime production had to be converted overnight to war production of tanks, aeroplanes and guns. Machine tools had to be made, and in some cases had to be invented to cope with the new problems. This took time. In addition, another conversion took place—one just as important as the physical conversion of peace-time machinery. This was the change that had to be made in the industrial state of mind. “That was gaited to the comparatively leisurely pace of commercial time production and had to be geared to something else. Industry had to realise that the need was desperate. This was no matter o'. making automobiles or electric iceboxes, no matter of directors showing stockholders a profit on investments. This was war. It took some time to realise that the war might well be decided in the factories of Detroit and of Los Angeles, in the steel mills of Pittsburg and in the mines of Pennsylvania. All our effort was needed. "This is being realised. To-day American industry joins hands with the men who work for Lord Beaverbrook and Mr Bevin in forgetting factional trade union disputes, in limiting holidays and in sacrificing for common victories. “I wish I could reveal to you ex-

actly how many a -oplanes, how many tanks, how many guns and how much ammunition will arrive on this island during next tweh months. The Nazis will never be able to move their v.ar factories far enough away to keep them from the eyes of the combined air strength of our countries. 1 am not talking of the distant future or of estimates based on speculation. I know how hard the men ir the factories v ork here. I know the dock workers of England had a hari time and have never faltered. Our country knows this. STRENGTHENING SUPPLY LINE "A few months ago ships which are now being built in America were only paper pictures on blue prints. Now they are translated into wood and steel in American shipyards. Soon they will be ships afloat, strengthening the supply line between the United States and England. “We have not neglected the question of 'ood. America will never allow the people of Britain to go hungry. America decided tj decrease the consumption of food and crease production. During the next twelve months huge quantities of cheese, pork. eggs, canned salmon, raisins, evaporated milk and concentrated fruit juice will arrive here. A thousand miscellaneous articles, all important to the war effort, are being produced ant’ are on the way—non and steel scrap from alloy steels, pig iron, brass, copper, lubricating oil. fuel oil. and aviation petrol. Wood is coming from our western forests and spruce woodpulp and paper and cotton are items in ie programme. Machine tools, oad-building machinery, cranes, agricultural implements tractors, chemicals, sil*, rope, fire hose and medical supplies—these coming in a steadily increasing volume from my country. “The Lend or Lease Bill passed by Congress gav the President specific authority to foster this great programme cf production and delivery. It is now happily an important and I hope, comforting facto- in the life of every mar, woman and child living on ycur far-flung pathway: of freedom "Nor do we forget to look toward the East, where China is battling valiantly against forces which menace democracy. Neither are we forgetful of the magnificent fight which the people Russia are putting up in the defence of their homeland. We in America are determined to give all possible aid to China and Russia—and immediately. “Yo": Prime Minister asked us for tools. I promise you that they are coming, that an endless assembly bell I Stretches from our western coast to this islan and to the Middle East and j tha'. nothing will be allowed to interfere wth the full efficiency of this supply. The enormous amount of war material which is en route now will rerrh here safely. Mr Roosevelt promised lat he would take steps to oil- ! s-ure the delivery of goods consigned to Britain. Our President does not give hit word lightly. People of Eno. land, people of Britain, people of the British Commonwealth of Nations, you are not fighting alone,— 8.0. W