LEND-LEASE AID

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 60, 13 March 1943, Page 5

LEND-LEASE AID

U.S. HELP TO RUSSIA AND BRITAIN

TIME GIVES LIES TO AXIS PROMISES (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) Recd. 8 p.m. Washington, March 11. “The question in 1941 was: Where would the Axis strike next? Now the question is: W’here will the United Nations strike next? The enemy will receive the answer on battlefields of our choosing as we strike again and again. LendLease and reciprocal aid will contribute increasingly to the inevitable defeat of the Axis.” President Roosevelt stated this in a message to a luncheon observing the second anniversary of Lend-Lease operations. He added: “In 1941 Hitler promised the Germans a short single-front w’ar. Our aid would be too little and too late. Japan’s military junta promised similarly. Time has given the lie to the Axis promises. Our promises have stood the test of time, for to-day, while observing the Lend-Lease anniversary, the United Nations are on the offensive.” M. Litvinov, Russian Ambassador, said: “The supplies received by Russia through Lend-Lease were an enormous help and were deeply appreciated by the Soviet people, who are fully aware of its extent.” He added that the originators of Lend-Lease could hardly have found an investment yielding better dividends.

Mr. E. J. Stettinius, Lend-Lease administrator, reported to-day that Lend-Lease aid now totalled 9,632,000,000 dollars, of which 90 per cent, was actually shipped in 22 months. The United States had sent the Allies 30 per cent, of the bombers, 38 per cent, of the fighters, 28 per cent, of the light tanks and 33 per cent, of the medium tanks of the total produced.

The total Lend-Lease aid to date comprised:

Dollars. United Kingdom 4,430,000,000 Russia .- 1,826,000,000 Africa and the Middle East 1,573,000,000 China 158,000,000 India 595,000,000 Australia 452,000,000 New Zealand - 139,000,000 Other areas 459,000,000 Almost as much aid was sent in the last six months as in the previous 18 months, and 1,977,000,000 dollars worth was transferred in the last three months.

FIRST DISCLOSURE

INCIDENT REPORTED IN RUSSIAN PRESS

Recd. 6 p.m. London, March 11. The Russian people learnt to-day for the first time about Admiral Standley’s statement. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent reports that all the Russian papers published accounts of the British and American reactions to the incident.

Admiral Standley declined to make any further comment, but it can be said, reports the Reuter message, that the statement was made with a constructive intent. Admiral Standley’s viewpoint was that the more the Russian public knew about the Allied war effort in all its phases the more easily would friendly relations be built up Detween tne Allies. This would lay the foundation for fruitful post-war collaboration between Russia and the Western democracies.