MOSCOW TALKS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24737, 14 October 1941, Page 7

MOSCOW TALKS

ASSISTANCE FOR RUSSIA A GENERAL SPEEDING-UP BRITISH MINISTER'S PLEDGE RUGBY, Oct. 12. An interesting description of the Moscow meeting was given in a broadcast to-night by Lord Beaveibrook, head of the British mission. He first described the rr.achihery of the meetings. Six mixed committees of British. American and Russian representatives were appointed and after working all day presented their reports to their i-espective Governments. " Then as night fell," he said, "Mr Harriman and I drove up the hill to the-Kremlin and there, in consultation with M. Stalin and M.- Molotov, with M. Litvinov as interpreter, we co-ordinated, defined, and then considered the findings of the day. But we did not rely entirely on our interpreter, M. Litvinov. We also defined a plan for speeding this up and that up, which worked wonders. Before going to the Kremlin we tried to anticipate M. Stalin's questions and we prepared answers which were translated into Russian. So when questions came, instead of making statements through M. Litinov it was our habit to hand across the table to M. Stalin a complete answer all typed out in his own language. Democracies Sharing Burden

"When the nightly meetings at the Kremlin wer-; over Mr Harriman and I would meet again at the British Embassy, conferring with our colleagues, going over the preparations for the next day, examining our resources, inquiring into Russian requests, discussing the long list of raw materials and making up statements of the necessary shipping facilities.' The conclusions we reached were to supply these out of the resources of Britain and the United States, each bearing a full share of the burden. The Russians arr» now ; being supplied with much that they asked for. And certainly that is all that at present we can give them. As for tanks and aircraft, the numbers M. Stalin asked for, just so many, have been promised. And. lest there be any confusion, let it be said that the full numbei - s promised for the month of October have been provided." Lord Beaverbrook continued: "We have promised also a few big guns, plenty of goods guns and plenty of ammunition. Raw materials, too—aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, tin. cobalt, brass, rubber, jute, wool, phosphorus, diamonds, shellac and a long list of other requirements. Of these I have mentioned practically everything asked by the Russians has been agreed to. Petroleum products have been provided by the United States according to Russian requirements. Several raw materials remain for further inquiry here and in Washington. Many of these are highly specialised,, and the decision must wait upon examination in detail. A Memorable Meeting " It was at that memorable meeting on Tuesday night, September 30, that M. Stalin's demands were finally formulated. For three days we had listened to a long tale of Russian needs. For .three-days our committees had been ceaselessly at work considering these retirements and .compiling hsts: for Mr Harriman and me.

"Then came night and the journey to the Kremlin. We must give our reply. We must make plain just how much we could do. just what part of the burden we could bear, and how great a share in the battle we could take. And we were already quite ready with our answers. The interpreter began solemnly and slowly anxiously to read out each item, but theve was little need for his services. The lists were familiar to us. and we had <tudi«?d them for long. Most things we were ready to supply, and the answers came straight from Mr Harriman or me. He said 'agreed' if the item concerned the United States. I said 'O.K.* when Britain was producing the supplies. "And as the list rolled on M. Litvinov sprang up from his seat crying out with enthusiasm. "M. Stalin's relief was manifest. He was pleased, he was confident, and he was satisfied. Is he an easy man to satisfy? Not so. He is an. exacting man, even though he does not look it.

"He is short of stature. Well dressed—very well dressed. There is nothing slovenly about him. " The Russians have most skilfully developed two new types of aircraft. One is the M.I.G. Three, a fighter, which corresponds in excellence, design, and performance to our Hurricanes and Spitfires. Just as these machines are superior to the German fighters in the west, so have the Messerschmitts on the eastern front met their match in the M.I.G. Three's. There is another new type. It is the Stormovik dive-bomber. Heavily armoured, this aircraft has proved an outstanding success in attacking troop concentrations and breaking up enemy formations. Colonel Lyon—of the American Air Force —tells of the decision to construct an airfield for the reception of the British and American aircraft we have been sending to Russia. A forest was cleared, a swam'p drained .and a road was driven. Two long and wide runways were constructed, yet that field was completed within 30 days. Now you may ask. Can the Russians use to the best advantage weapons made for them at home and abroad, in Britain and the United States? Yes. Their pilots are of the very best. Just as much experienced as any pilots anywhere. And the mechanics who service their aircraft compare in all respects with the mechanics of Britain and the United States. Indeed, the Russians have a genius for mechanisation " Lord Beaverbrook went on: "The Russian Prime Minister knows that the people of Britain will see this job through. He knows they mean to fight to the conclusion and carry on till victory is won. And it is my belief that the people of Russia are possessed of the same determination. They bear at present the full brunt of the fire and burden of the enemy's attack, and their courage and determination in face of adversity, their abiding faith in Russia, their love of country, which prompts them to destroy their heritage rather than let it fall into the hands of the barbarian invader, have commanded the mounting admiration alike of the Old World and thp new."

Lord Beaverbrook concluded with the pledge: " We will forgo food from abroad if the ships are needed for Russia. We will give up all our pleasure if munitions are required to defend their cities. We will endure the with them and the sunshine we will share with them. Stalin must be sustained. The Soviet Union must be enabled to enter the spring campaign with adequate supplies of all munitions of war."