“VICTORY IS CERTAIN”

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22153, 27 September 1943, Page 5

“VICTORY IS CERTAIN”

GREATER PRODUCTION URGED

(Received Sept. 27, noon) LONDON, Sept. 26

Sir Stafford Cripps, speaking at Newcastle, declared that victory now seemed certain. He added: “It is only the time and the cost in human life which are still in doubt. How long that time will be, how great the casualties are, must now depend largely upon the efforts of those on the industrial front in Britain and

America. A sustained and increasing effort may bring us earlier to victory, with all that that means in saving human lives.” Pointing to the enormous expansion of aircraft production and the production of all those multifarious devices which assist the fighter and the bomber, Sir Stafford said: “If the figure for the first six months of 1940 for the structure weight of aircraft produced is taken at 100, then the corresponding figures for 1941, 1942 and 1943—in each case the first six months—are 161, 244 and 364. This shows how great is our production now compared with that of the six months of 1941 and 1946, when we were making the planes which fought in the Battle of Britain. But this is not in itself enough. We still need more aircraft to make good the heavy losses in offensive fighting today and prepare for that even greater offensive which must come before the end is reached.”