BRITAIN’S WORK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 67, 20 March 1942, Page 5

BRITAIN’S WORK

REVIEWED BY HALIFAX VAST EXPENDITURE “NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT FOR VICTORY" (By Telegraph—Pres* Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 11.5 p.m.) New York, March 18.1 Lord Halifax, in his broadcast, said: —“This is the most expensive war ever fought. In 1941 Britain's ex-1 penditure had risen to 6U per cent, of I the national income. “Axis propagandists are fond of asking: What is the British Army doing? They try to suggest that it is sitting at home behind bayonets. Regarding the troops in England, two million are Home Guards and parttime soldiers whose full-time work is mostly in war industries. The other million and a-half are troops of the Regular Army guarding 3001) miles oi coast. The Army has been lighting in the Arctic Circle, through western and south-western Europe, North and East Africa, the Near East and the Far East to the Equator. It is a re-1 cord of valour and sacrifice, certainly i not inaction. To the end of 1941 of ail casualties suffered by the British Commonwealth, over 70 per cent, were troops from Britain. “To-day,” he added, “the British! Army is lighting in Libya and Burma. It is lighting, too. in raids, by commandos ana parachute troops in occupied Europe, which surely will increase in number and strength. The Germans do not like these raids. They do not know where and when we will strike. That is one reason why the Germans are keeping more troops idle i in Western Europe. The Imperial; forces have totally destroyed two I great Italian armies and inflicted lieav\ casualties upon a third, weii ‘ stiffened by Germans. Although we have been disappointed that we nave not cleaned up Bommers force, half a 'milhon troops were put out of action and a vast amount of war material captured. Several Axis thrusts towards Egypt and the Suez Canal have been defeated, and Ethiopia has been set free. ‘ R A.F. exploits have fired the imagination throughout the world,” saici Lord Halifax, “rhe Coastal Command aircraft have flown over 50 million miles. In the Battle of Britain our I' ighter Command proved that the German air force is not invincible. That was one of the turning points in this war. By averting invasion of the British Isles the R.A.F. saved the cause of freedom everywhere. Between Sepetember, 1939, and February, 1942, the R.A.F. shot down 9396 German and Italian planes. A year ago Britain’s big cities were suffering savage German air raids. To-day the enemy is beginning to learn what heavy air attacks can mean to • the great centres of war production. Our aircraft are not only cSftrying more bombs than formerly but heavier ones, of which some weigh nearly two tons. Bigger bombs are on the way. Britain to-day is turning out five times as many tanks as at the time oi the Dunkirk withdrawal in 1940. No I country has ever had to endure such) continuous, widespread and heavy bobbing as Britain. To the end oi 1941 we lost 43,357 men, women ana children killed and 50,000 seriously in-J jured. “It is a fact never before published,” he concluded, “that for | months past 80 per cent, of our I total military production ana ' every soldier for whom shipping space was available has been sent i overseas. The British really are peoples stripped for action. We are gathering our strength for the final day of reckoning. We count no sacrifice too great for victory.”