STRATEGY IN WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 118, 22 May 1942, Page 5

STRATEGY IN WAR

PROBLEMS OF THE ALLIES SIR STAFFORD CRIPPS’ REVIEW (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrighl)

> Rugby, May 20. Sir Stafford Cripps, winding up the war debate in the House of Commons, said the co-ordination of military, naval and air activities in a war which has been waged from the Arctic Ocean to Australia and throughout the Atlantic and Pacific areas was a task of the greatest complexity. He stressed the extreme difficulty of moving troops over immense distances under rapidly-changing circumstances. Whereas the Germans and Italians had rapid interior lines of communication, we had to move round the perimeter.

Similarly, the Japanese, while •etaining temporary control of the Pacific, enjoyed interior lines of sea communication throughout 'he Pacific area, enabling them rapidly to concentrate their forces wherever they wished to strike. Sir Stafford said he agreed with tn n view that in these circumstances it was indeed surprising that worse results had not ensued. He did not think either the House or the country realised the enormous degree of attack from which Malta had suffered and the enormous amount of aircraft Britain had to get to Malta to counter it. During April the Germans macle 5000 sorties and more bombs were dropped on the island during that period than on Britain during any month in the worst, period of the blitz. The total was 6000 tons. Regarding Britain's attitude towards Australia. Sir Stafford said * h it from the operational point of view Australia had fallen into the sphere of American help, but that did no I mean that from the supply point if view Australia was left, to the mercies—the no doubt tender mercies—of America. “It is quite certain we shall do our utmost in balancing their needs against the urgent needs of the other theatres of war,” Sir Stafford said. Australia would have every sympathy and help Britain could possibly give her in these difficult times. Regarding suggestions lor an inquiry into the Singapore disas'.er. ihe Lord Privy S?al said the Government had decided that such an investigation would not be in the best interests of the effective prosecution of the war. In the first place, no inquiry could be conducted among those who had fallen into Japanese hands; secondly, at a moment so critical for the existence of India it would he madness to plunge General Wavell, formerly Commander-in-Chief in Singapore, into the details of an inquiry which might be particularly concerned with his competence as Commander-in-Chief. Sir Stafford Cripps also reiterated that the policy of assisting Russia continued, and, dealing with the bombing of Germany, said this was, in the British Government’s view, of material assistance to Russian resistance and the best way we could give

BITTER CRITICISM FORMER SECRETARY FOR WAR i POLITICAL ELEMENT BLAMED (Recd. 5.5 p.m.' London, May 20. Mr. Hore-Belisha (Lib. Nat.. Devonport), formerly Secretary for War, ;spoaking in the debate, said: “Our ; first requirement is to realise that we are not lighting the Germans alone - i but he formidable Axis combina- ■ j tion. We must meet its unified I 'strategy with a unified strategy of our I own. We have reached the stage ' where the Chiefs of Staff are guiaed • i and directed by a political Minister. i This change was made before the dis,l aster in Norway, and you cannot ■ . divorce the almost unbroken sequence of strategical disasters from this mixture of political, strategical, and military elements in the war-directing machine. “Who told General Wavell to stop at Benghazi? Who decided to send the Army to Greece without adequate air support? “We are told it had the concurrence of the Chiefs of Staff, but con- . currence is very different from advice. .i We have reached an extraordinary ’ ' pass when in a war debate we have neither the benefit of the service Ministers nor the presence of the Minister of Defence. “While Stormoviks are shat i’ing the German defences and 2000 Siukas are roaring over the Russian posh ion at Kerch there is no such weapon as y dive-bomber in the British Armv. The Japanese passed swiftly through [Malaya with a dive-bomber designed ■ spe.’ally for army use. Java was | taken bv modern tactics, not the ' superiority of arms. General Alex- ! ander, in Burma, conducted a retreat I without cover. “Is this to be tolerated after nearly three years of war? It must j be stopped,” said Mr. Hore-Belisha. that assistance until such time as we were able to make a carefully planned attack on the Continent of Europe, “which we intend to do.” “The House can be satisfied that this bombing of Germany is not a question of first of principle, but part of our strategy inter-linked with the whole of the strategy in all the theatres of war.”—B.O.W.