SECOND FRONT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24277, 19 May 1942, Page 3

SECOND FRONT

GERMAN UNEASINESS MILITANT ALLIES ACTION WHEN OPPORTUNE (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, May 17 Sir Stafford Cripps, speaking at Bristol about Britain's determination to defeat her enemies with the help of her friends, referred particularly to Australia and Russia, and commented on the possibility of the formation of a second front, says the British official wireless. Australia, he said, was under great stress in the face of a possible invasion, but the British authorities hoped the splendid results of the Cora] Sea battle would discourage a Japanese attempt to attack Australia. At the same time Britain must do her utmost to help Australia, which had done great work for Britain. Germans Uneasy % After referring to the support of Russia, the United States and China, Sir Stafford said that Britain had done her utmost to help Russia with supplies and armaments. "Already the Germans are gutting uneasy at the militant offensive spirit of the British and American people in the matter of the second front which the Prime Minister welcomed in his recent broadcast," said Sir Stafford. "The Germans' will, I believe, show something more than nervousness when our two Governments translate that militant spirit into offensive action, as they certainly will do the moment they judge it opportune." The whole of Britain, he added-, felt that the long defensive period necessitated by the fall of France was near an end, and the time had come, to prepare to take the offensive in the decisive stage of the war. Not All Plain Sailing "Let us remember that our advance will not be easy or uninterrupted," he continued. "The power of our enemies, though diminished, is by no means spent. We shall yet meet crushing difficulties and maybe painful defeats in some theatres, but'behind all there will be growing day by day that vast air strength which, sooner or later, and it must be sooner in some fields, will give us overwhelming superiority, but our air strength and that of our American allies has not nearly reached its peak power. There is every reason for hope and confidence in the future, bub none for easy optimism or stupid complacency." He said that when he got to knowMarshal Timoshenko in Russia he found that he had the qualities of a great leader, and the Germans around Kharkov, no doubt, .seconded that opinion. The much-heralded German offensive had been turned into a Russian offensive. American Production Sir Stafford referred to American production, and said the output of all classes of offensive material would soon become overwhelming. The Americans had a full task in dealing with Japan, but just as Britain was helping them in the Pacific they were helping to deal with the other Axis partners. The were also being helped by the great "V" army on many scattered fronts, and by guerillas. Speaking of the future, Sir Stafford Cripps said poverty, ill-nealth, unemployment and bad housing were some of the principal enemies of the whole human race, and he believed there was a large body of people prepared to wage as ruthless and total war on these enemies as on Hitler and Mussolini. Nothing must be allowed to stand in the way of that fight. Just as Bristol had been torn by the ravages of war, so, too, had much of the pre-war outlook gone, to be replaced by a deeper and more significant vitality, which sought to prove itself in terms of actual social economic experience. Necessary Driving Power '"Without that driving power of moral, religious or ethical force which is patent in our people to-day, we would not be able to accomplish victory in war or peace," he said. "We must dedicate and sacrifice ourselves and our personal interests, not only in the effort to defeat and destroy our Nazi and Fascist enemies, but afso to wipe out those foul enemies of poverty, disease, unemployment and bad housing which have destroyed so many of our people in the past and which, unless we overcome them with every weapon we possess, vail destroy > them again, and even more terriblv in the future." Sir Stafford said he would continue to work for self-government arrd selfdetermination for India. NO MORE SINGAPORES LABOUR LEADER'S DEMAND (Rerd. 10.40 p.m.) LONDON, May 18 "Our executive is prepared to continue to urge the workers to produc® their maximum, but we will not stand for any more Cretes, Hongkongs or Singapores," said Mr. H. N. Harrison, presiding at the annual conference of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions. "We Cannot go on appealing to our members to toil and sweat to produce their maximum, and, at the same time,-continue to see it wasted. "1 demand the same treatment for those in high spheres as is applied to the ordinary workman who is imprisoned for being absent from work, or for being guilty of anything holding up the war production," he said. "The people responsible for the collapse of Hongkong and Singapore by neglecting to see that our men were fully equipped should receive the sama punishment as a workman." END OF THE WAR AN OPTIMISTIC WRITER ' - LONDON, May 17 "The war in Europe will be decided in the next six or eight months," says John Gordon, editor of the Sunday Express. "It may even be ended within that period. Howover foolish it may be to think there are signs of weakness in Germany, it is clear beyond doubt that Hitler's difficulties are grave. It is clear that the strong top crust has been knocked off the German army. At least a million of its best soldiers have gone, perhaps more. Their places have been taken by very young recruits and tniddle-aged men. Neither will stand the shock of battle so well as the young men who have gone. "Hitler cannot face another winter with much hope of survival. He can force an end favourable to himself only by destroying the Russian armies so completely that he can safely turn with all his strength against us. In my view Russia will not be beaten, but will beaj Germany. What Russia needs above aa else is a second front in Europe. That front can come only from Britain."