WINNING THE WAR

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21409, 1 May 1941, Page 8

WINNING THE WAR

REORGANISATION URGED MORE REFORMS WANTED SPEEDY MECHANISATION (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON. April 30 While Britons and Anzacs are writing the last chapter of the Greek epic, every London newspaper devotes columns to soul-searching and suggested reforms to ensure that their sacrifices have not been in This widespread demand for in- : dustrial, military and diplomatic reorganisation and reorientation reflects the view of the common man and woman, whose one desire is to play a vital part in winning the war. It has been said before, but never more truly, that the next three months will witness an intensification of the war such as defies imagination. The British public has always been conscious of the danger, and ready and willing for any sacrifice. The obvious lesson from Poland and Dunkirk was that manpower was pitifully useless against mechanised divisions, but the lesson was only partly understood. Greece has driven it home. Hence the insistent demands for more speedy mechanisation and for the trebling of the output of tanks, guns and aeroplanes. Britain’s production potential is not unlimited. The armed forces and civil defence forces eat into manpower. Further, factories are virtually in the front line, with its attendant handicaps. With new factories now coming into production, however, an army of workmen is being drafted to the bench. Lessons of Greece Commentators assert that the Government was premature in its army mobilisation, and suggest that possibly 100,000 mechanics and artisans being trained throughout Britain to use rifles would be better employed in the factory. The second lesson of Greece is that there must be reorganisation of the Ministry of Information. Military commentators already are speculating on Hitler’s next move. Hitler is seeking to cloud his intentions, but it is generally believed that his immediate objective will be the Mosul oil wells, and it is expected that the next development will be a large-scale “steam-roller” offensive against Egypt, combined with mass air attacks on Alexandria and the Suez Canal. The British public is fully conscious of the dangers, horrors and difficulties of the coming months, when Hitler undoubtedly will throw in everything in an effort to finish the war before the winter. Miracle of Defence Mr Walter Fullwer. president of the National Association of Manufacturers, addressing industrialists at Philadelphia, said American industry had performed a modern miracle of defence, making more progress in 10 months than Hitler did in 30 with dictatorship economy. Mr Fullwer said industry had absorbed 13,000,000,000 dollars’ worth of defence orders in less than a year and had placed 99 per cent of them in production. A survey showed that 85 per cent of the manufacturers expected to deliver the goods on or before the contracted date. SOME MINES REOPEN ANNOUNCEMENT BY LEADER (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) WASHINGTON, April 30 The United Mine Workers’ leader, Mr John L. Lewis, announced after a conference with the southern coal operators that the southern soft-coal mines would not reopen tomorrow as scheduled, but the northern mines would do so.