HELP FROM U.S.A.

Southland Times, Issue 24499, 29 July 1941, Page 5

HELP FROM U.S.A.

LEND-OR-LEASE PROGRAMME FLOW OF MATERIALS (8.0.W.) RUGBY, July 27. Mr Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt’s personal representative and supervisor of the Lease or Lend Programme, in a broadcast tonight said: “I arrived here from America a week ago on business. My business is the same as that of every other American from the President to the man who drives a rivet or turns a lathe in an aeroplane factory in Los Angeles or Buffalo. That business is the safeguarding of our heritage of freedom of thought and action. “Right now Hitler is seriously threatening this heritage of ours and yours. I did not come from America alone. I came in a bomber plane. With me were 20 other bombers made in America. These aeroplanes tonight may be dropping bombs on Brest or Hamburg or Berlin, helping to safeguard our common heritage. “I come here as the representative of the President of the United States. This hatred for the things Hitler- stands for is the hatred of our own people against tyranny. “The people of my country feel that this world would not be worth living in if the forces of Nazi power were to prevail and the democracies of the world were to crumble under their fierce but futile assault. The President, speaking for the people of the United States, is giving Britain more than lip service. Even now as I speak grey destroyers bearing the American flag are plunging their bows into the waters of the North Atlantic. Once upon a time this mighty ocean separated us. Now it joins us. ATLANTIC PATROL

“Tonight British and American warships are patrolling parallel lanes with only one object in view, to guard the world’s lifeline. I have been with the President when messages came telling of the bombing of workers’ flats in the East End of London. I was with him when the news first came of the tragic bombing of Coventry and later of Plymouth. I heard the words which came not only from his lips, but from his heart. I watched the stern development of his determination to defeat Hitler. The President is one with your Prime Minister in his determination to break the ruthless power of that sinful psychopathic of Berlin.

“The President asked me to come over here. My instructions from him were: ‘Find out if the material we are sending to Britain is arriving. Find out if it is what Britain wants. Let me know if there is anything more Britain needs.’

“This is my mission. I have found out the things he asked me to find out. I have learned that most of the war material that America has shipped to this island as arrived here—although I know only too well of some precious cargoes that have gone to the bottom of the sea. I learned from your Cabinet Ministers what England needs now and I am returning to America to report this to the President. I have found out that there are certain things you need to fight this war for the democracies. I am confident that America can supply them.

“We in America may be 3000 miles away, but today the Atlantic Ocean is merely a channel. A bridge of friendship spans it —a bridge of sympathy and admiration extends from Washington to London and although perhaps you cannot see this bridge it is so strong that all the power of darkness and of Nazi terrorism cannot destroy it. Your Prime Minister and my President are 3000 miles apart, but we no longer measure distance in miles. After all, the Hun is only 21 miles from Dover, yet he and his pagan way of life are 2000 years away from Dover. “I speak to you tonight as an American deeply interested in the welfare of his country and in the preservation of our democratic form of government. Like most Americans, I feel that our way of life and our country are threatened by Hitler. Like most Americans, I feel that your fight is a fight for free' dom in the world and that it must not and will not fail. PRACTICAL AID “I would like to talk to you about the Bill which is popularly known as the Lend or Lease Bill. For a while you received verbal messages of cheer and good hope. My country was in the position of a football fan who yelled encouragement from the stands. That was not good enough. President Roosevelt realized this. He knew that sympathy was humane, but that ‘Flying Fortresses’ could drop more bombs. He knew that admiration was pleasing, but that an American destroyer could drop depth charges. He knew that speeches by himself and his Cabinet Ministers might get applause in Britain, but he knew too that machine tools, guns and ammunition made in America and delivered here would be much more effective than words. “The President and Congress knew

this and the Lend or Lease Bill was their answer. This Bill put our sympathies and our admiration into a tangible form. The Lease or Lend Bill is a weapon against a tyrant, against a man who would enslave our democracies. Until now the people of Britain have not been told all the details of just what help America has given you. Publication of the exact amount of material which has already arrived here might give valuable information to the enemy and might jeopardize the lifeline stretching from Canada and America to Britain. Now that life-line is much stronger. No enemy action can stop the ceaseless tide of ships coming here daily, this time laden with something more substantial than hope and sympathy.” THOUSANDS OF PLANES “Let me give a brief summary of some of the war material which has come from the arsenals and granaries across the sea,” said Mr Hopkins. “During the past several months planes now numbered in thousands, made in American factories, have been flown or shipped across the Atlantic. These range from the largest bomber to the fastest fighters. They are in combat now. I have seen in the past week great Boeing four-engined bombers return from Germany. The vast programme for the building of thousands of these giants of the air is far advanced—and Hitler is not able to move his factories far enough to escape their devastating power of destruction. “America has already sent several hundred tanks throughout the Empire and many more are on the way. Ocean going ships, many of them oil-tankers, have been transferred to Britain. The greatest merchant ship-building programme ever undertaken is in progress. Night and day, riveting never ceases. We can promise that there will be ships to carry food and oil and munitions. Today American-made tanks are eaterpillaring over the sands of the Middle East and American-made aeroplanes of every sort are roaring into combat wherever the Luftwaffe shows fight. Today 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 realize that our part today has not been great. Our contribution has been but a modest part of our great war effort. Blood and toil, sweat and tears have been yours, not ours. And v/e realize this. There is reason for our apparent slowness. Factories geared to peace-time production had to be converted overnight to a war production of tanks, aeroplanes and guns. New machine-tools had to be made and, in some cases, had to be invented to cope with 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. A DESPERATE NEED ® “That which was gaited to the comparatively leisurely pace of commercial peace-time production had to be geared to something else,” said Mr Hopkins. “Industry had to realize that the need was desperate. This is no matter of making automobiles or electric ice-boxes, no matter of directors showing stockholders a profit on their investments. This is war. It took some time to realize that the war might well be decided in the factories of Detroit, of Los Angeles, in the steel mills of Pittsburg and in the mines of Pennsylvania. All our effort is needed. This is being realized. Today 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 victory.

“I wish I could reveal to you exactly how many aeroplanes, how many tanks, how many guns and how much ammunition will arrive on this island during the next 12 months. The Nazis will never be able to move their war factories far enough away to keep them from the eyes of the combined air strength of our countries. lam not talking of the distant future nor of estimates based on speculation. I know how hard the men in the factories work here. I know the dock workers of England have had a hard time and have never faltered. Our country knows this.