CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT

Southland Times, Issue 24332, 13 January 1941, Page 5

CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT

Hitler May Strike Soon GROWING ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES (British Official Wireless) (Received January 12, 10 p.m.) RUGBY, January 11. Dr Hugh Dalton, Minister of Economic Warfare, speaking at Bishop Auckland said that none could doubt that in the next few months, perhaps even the next few weeks, Hitler would open a more active phase of hostilities. Hitler could not afford to remain passive while his junior partner in crime was being hammered in Africa, Albania, on the seas and in the air. Hitler and Mussolini were both facing the steadily increasing pressure of the blockade. Dr Dalton said that information at his disposal convinced him that in many essential war materials Germany was already beginning to feel the pinch and would feel it more and more as the months went by. He mentioned rubber, copper, nickel and other ferro alloys, and wool and cotton as commodities to which his remarks applied. At the same time the Minister disclaimed complacency and warned his audience that they must expect a long war. It would not be possible to destroy in a short time what the Nazi war-mongers had steadily accumulated

over seven years, to which must be added the stocks of valuable materials looted from the countries that Germany had over-run. The Ministry of Economic Warfare would work in cooperation with the Navy and R.A.F. continually to intensify the economic war in all its forms. [ He paid particular tribute to the exploits of the R.A.F. bombers in adding to the Nazis’ economic difficulties by lheir systematic and accurate blows at Nazi oil stocks and industrial plants. NO BREACH IN BLOCKADE Dr Dalton referred to the decision regarding certain supplies to be distributed by the American Red Cross in Unoccupied France. “At Mr Roosevelt’s request,” he said. “Britain has decided to permit, subject to strict safeguards, the passage through our patrols of certain goods into Unoccupied France. These goods will be limited to medical supplies in the strict sense, which we have always allowed to pass through our blockade, to vitamin concentrates, preserved milk and baby clothes. These will be distributed by agents of the American Red Cross through children’s clinics and hospitals. “There will be strict safeguards against any abuse of these arrangements. We will reserve the right at any time to prevent further shipments if the conditions which we have laid down are not observed. “I am satisfied this concession will make no significant breach in the blockade. There is no general relaxation of our controls. Indeed, I am glad to tell you that only in the last few days the Navy has picked up a number of would-be blockade-runners.”