FULL STRENGTH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24346, 10 July 1940, Page 7

FULL STRENGTH

BRITISH DIVISIONS A REORGANISED ARMY READY FOR INVADER CONFIDENT OF VICTORY (British Official Wireless) (United Press- Association) (B.v Electric Telegraph- Copyright) RUGBY, July 8. For the last five weeks the War Office lias ueen intensely preoccupied with preparing for the " Ea.ile of Britain." During this period responsible circles have observed great reticence, but it can now be stated that Cabinet and its military advisers are satisfied with what has been achieved under stress and difficulty, a.e confident that the dislocations suffered in the evacuation of ihz British Expeditionary Force from Belgium and Northern France - and subsequently in the great efforts made to bring the maximum possible assistance to Britain's ally. France, for the Battle of the Somme and the final evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force have been rectified. The nine divisions brought home from Dunkirk have been reorganised and brought up to strength, and these, with all the other divisions at Home, which likewise have been brought up to strength, are now at th> disposal of the commander-in-chief. Simultaneously the intake into the army has been increased, and large numbers of new battalions are being formed. The losses of equipment on the Continent are being made good, and new equipment is being allocated steadily in accordance with a carefully formulated programme. Meantime, and particularly in the n:st fortnight, admirable progress has been made with the system of defensive works. To-day, therefore, a reorffanised army, which has already shown its mettle face to face with the enemy, stands ready beside its comrades who have not yet been in battle, but £re ail the more eager to prove their ability to . repulse any invading force that reaches the shores of Britain, Behind them is an evergrowing force, training and preparing, and the whole army, from seasoned troops to the rawest recruits, is being imbued with the offensive spirit, and with the will to c:rry the war against the enemy, wherever he may be, at the appropriate moment until "victory is achieved. Allied Units Assist Britain These great forces, trained and training, are being reinforced by important contingents from the Commonwealth, who are proud to take their part in the protection of the Motherland, and by many Allied unitsFrench volunteers under General d« Gaulle Polish. Czech, Dutch, Belgian and Norwegian soldiers—determined to throw their weight against the enemy wherever and whenever they can contribute to his eventual defeat and so avenge the wrongs and humiliations inflicted upon their own homeland End bring back freedom to their own people. • .''■. . The formidable rate at which the British Army itself is growing is indicated in the figures revealed todav of the daily intake, which for a period of seven weeks will average 7000. :/■•; J' Adequate as the available resources of trained men appear to be to meet any challenge that lies immediately ahead before further reinforcements ; of men and the great outpouring of material from the factories give back the military initiative, it is fully appreciated here that any attack on Britain will be made with the greatest possible force and with every possible aid from surprise. For that reason there will be a most relentless pursuit of increase of material and equipment. - It is for that reason, too. that the authorities' welcome the remarkable public response in recruiting for local defence volunteers, who now number over 1,000.000. These volunteers are intended to perform duties which will afford the field army substantial relief from secondary preoccupations. The greatest possible emphasis is being laid upon the need for increasing the output of material and equipment. The Secretary for War and Minister of Labour and other Ministers concerned are working in close concentration to ensure that the demands of thearmy should not reduce the labour force essential to the maintenance of the maximum output of war industries. One of the first acts of Mr Churchill's all-party administration was the setting up of a production council under the chairmanship of one member of the War Cabinet. Mr Arthur Greenwood, to determine priorities. The council has worked out such priorities over the whole field of industrv. . Problem of Skilled Workers Meantime the Minister of Labour ha» been Tackling the problem of skilled workers. This problem is more difficult to-day even than in 1915-16. because of the development of war mechanism and technological . changes, which have increased by 50 per cent, the importance of precision processes relative to processes capable of routine repetition in mass. It is authoritatively stated, however, that considerable progress has been made with this problem. The legister of skilled categories will enable the transfer of skilled labour to war work with a minimum of delay. A census of machine tools has revealed enormous unused capacity, to which labour and material will now progressively be adjusted. The measure of success achieved on the mobilisation of manpower with the least possible dislocation is afforded by the fact that in recent weeks it has been possible to place in industry both from ihe ranks of the unemployed by training and from the unskilled labour force by upgrading, numbers greater than those taken for the army at the present increased rate of intake. The Minister of Labour, it is understood, is satisfied that it will be possible to continue to meet army needs without depleting essential war industries. The building and civil engineering trades have been organised to such effect that there has been great acceleration in completion'.of war factories, so that many will come into production four or five months ahead of schedule. - . "Trade Practices" Relaxed All these adjustments are being made without resort to the Minister of Labour's powers of compulsion. They have, in fact, been made possible by the generous relaxation on the part of unions of nearly all "trade practices." This attitude is illustrative of the spirit of mutual trust in industry, to which both sides have contributed, and which the Minister cf Labour sought to cultivate by seeing that the Government made its contribution by giving close attention* to the continuance of reinforcement in forms -adjusted to the sterner circumstances of services aiming at the welfare of the workers and the maintenance of industrial efficiency. It can be stated that the Minister of Labour expects shortly to issue an order providing for the regulation of waees and arbitration in all disputes. This step may be said to complete the mobilisation of British industry for war. .The fact that Mr Bevin has had the co-operation of the Trade Union Congress and employers' organisations in drafting these arrangements is the clearest possible demonstration of the determination of employers and men in the hour cf the nation's need to give their very utmost.