Evening Star Newspaper, January 27, 1942, Page 6

A4 Advancing Red Army Moves Deeply Info Smolensk Province Russians Moke Mozhaisk Assembly Point for Seized Nazi Loot BY EDDY GILMORE, Astociated Press War Correspondent. WITH THE RED ARMY ON THE CENTRAL FRONT, Jan. 27. —The Russian Army, continuing its deadly flanking movements, moved deeply into Smolensk Province today after clearing the last German from the Province of Moscow. Mozhaisk, the battered and ruined highwater mark of the Germans’ advance west of the capital, where they withstood the furious Red Army counterattack for so long, has been converted into an assembly point for trophies captured from the Nazis. ‘When we passed through Mozhaisk and moved up with the troops toward Gzhatsk we saw some of the Soviet activities in collecting this booty. Litter Roads for Miles. Tanks which litter the roads for miles are being hauled out of the snow and dragged by tractors to the Mozhaisk Railway. Some of them look to be in excellent condition, In the loot are many motor vehicles — trucks for transporting troops, machineg for hauling big guns, small gun carriers. Among other materials were 150 tons of barbed wire. The Germans had removed the engines from some of the vehicles, but many others seemed capable of operating after overhaul and repairs. Those which were badly smashed by Red Army artillery and grenades are being combed for undamaged parts and the rest shipped off as scrap steel and iron to the Soviet munitions mills. Lt. Gen. Leonid Govorov, whose soft voice contrasts sharply with his roaring cannon, told us the Ger- mans are moving the remnants of their shattered tank divisions to Germany to prepare them for a great tank offensive in the spring. “We learn from German prisoners that they want to hit us while they still have superiority in tanks,” he said. “Will they still have superiority in the spring?” he was asked. “That depends partly on the ful- fillment of our Allies’ pledges,” he | replied. Tank Strategy Shifted. At present, he said, the Germans no longer were using tanks in the mass, only two or three in a group which usually is attached to a bat- talion. Tall, broad-shouldered, his blue eyes gleaming over a red tablecloth, the general whose artillery is largely credited with smashing the Ger- mans’ Mozhaisk salient, told us his ideas on the best way to beat the Nazis. After artillery, the best we_:(;ipon against tanks is tanks, he said. Gen. Govorov also saild the Rus- sians are traditionally good bayonet fighters and the Germans are not; British tanks are being used to good effect; the Red air. force is active in offensive operations. ok ok | “Not one time,” he asserted, “have | the Germans withstood a bayonet charge.” More Villages Captured In Advance, Russians Say By the Associated Press. MOSCOW, Jan. 27 (#).—Red Army troops were officially declared today to have recaptured a number of ad- ditional villages and towns through fierce fighting “in which the enemy suffered heavy losses.” The Soviet Information Bureau | in a midday communique said the advance westward continued during | the night, but gave no details. It added that the Germans lost 1,340 officers and men on the south- | ern front. (Highly placed Russians in London said the recapture of Rzhev, on the upper Volga 130 miles northwest of Moscow, was “expected at any minute” and that a blizzard-braving assault threatened the German stand at Velikie Luki, 140 miles farther along and only 80 miles from the Latvian frontier. (Orel, 200 miles southwest of Moscow, and Belgorod, at the head of the Donets Basin, also were reported under heavy pres- sure.) Four German planes were brought down near Moscow yesterday, the Boviet radio broadcast reported. Confusing Civilian Pilot Restrictions Are Eased- By the Associated Press. Civilian pilots will be allowed to resume many of their pre-war ac- tivities, beginning February 15, under new regulations issued by the C. A A “Regulations have been prepared to eliminate confusing local restric- tions, many of which have béen un- usually trying to civilian pilots since the declaration of war,” Charles I. Stanton, acting C. A. A. Administra- tor, explained yesterday. “Their purpose is to tell all civil pilots what they can do and one of the salutary effects should be a softening of the rigid restrictions on civil pilots now prevailing in certain areas of the country.” he said. “Military control will be superimposed on. civil air regula- tions, in case of emergency in a given area.” The new rules call for the appoint- ment of the registrars and clearance officers, named by and responsible to the management of the airport. ‘They must, however, be approved and designated as such by the C. A. A. Twenty-four hour guard at air- ports is required also. ‘Will Fight Through To End,’ Roosevelt Tells Churchill BY the Assogiated Press. LONDON, Jan. 27.—Winston Churchill told the House of Commons today that on his visit to the United States he established with President Roosevelt the closest relations of “comradeship and friend- ship.” “We can say anything to each other, however painful,” he said. “Mr. Roosevelt's last words to By the Associated Press. the House of Commons today. any government there come occa- sions which must be clarified. No one who has read the news- papers of the last few weeks about our affairs at home and abroad can doubt that such an occasion is at hand. Since my return to this country T have come to the conclusion that I must ask to be sustained by a vote of confidence from the House of Commons. It has been suggested that we should have three days’ debate at this time, during which the govern- ment would be belabored by some of those who have not such heavy burdens to carry, but that we should separate without a division. In this case there are sections of are some whose hostility is pro- nounced, who would declare the government's credit broken and it might even be hinted that it has I should be very reckless if I asked for a vote of confidence. * * * The matter does not stop there. These reports can then e flashed all over the world and they would be repeated by enemy broadcasts night after night in erder to show that the Prime Minister has no right to speak for the nation and that the government of Britain is about to collapse. It & member dislikes the govern- ment very much and feels that it is in the public interest that it should be broken up he ought to have the manhood to testify to his opinion. Nobody need be mealy- mouthed in this debate. Hess Thought He Could Overthrow Churchill Regime. This Parliament, which at present is the most powerful representative assembly in the world, must also and will also bear in mind the effect produced abroad by all its gs. We have also to remember how very oddly foreigners view our coun- try and its way of doing things. When Rudolf Hess flew over here some months ago he firmly believed he had only to gain access to certain circles in this country for what he described as the Churchill clique to be thrown out of power and for a government to be set up with which Hitler might negotiate a magnani- | mous peace. The only importance attaching to | the opinions of Hess is the fact that he was fresh from the atmos- phere of Hitler’s table. But I can assure the House that since I have been back in this coun- try I have had anxious inquiries from a dozen countries angd reports on enemy propaganda in a score of countries, all turning on the point of whether his majesty’s govern- ment is to be dismissed from power or not. * * * I am sure the House would wish to make its position clear. Therefore, I stand by the ancient constitutional and parliamentary doctrine of free debate and faithful voting. * * * Gives His Account Of Progress of War:" Now I turn to'the actount of the war, which constitutes the claim I make for the suppoft and confidence of the House. i Three or four months ago we had to cope with the following situa- tion: The German invaders were ad- vancing, blasting their way through Russia. The Russians were resist- ing with the utmost heroism, but no one could tell what would happen— whether Leningrad, Moscow or Ros- tov would fall, or where the German winter line would be established. | No one can tell now where it will | be established, but now the boot is on the other leg. ' The ' government thought and' Parliament, upon reflection, agreed ) that the best aid we could give | Russia was in supplies of many | kinds—raw materials, munitions and particularly tanks and aircraft. Our forces at home and abroad had long been waiting thirstily for these weapons. At last they were coming to hand in large numbers. At home we have always the danger of invasion to consider and prepare against. Nevertheless we sent Premier Stalin—I gather that is how he wishes to be addressed and that is the form in which he favors me— exactly what he asked for. A whole lot was promised and sent. There is, I am sorry to say, a small lapse due to bad weather. But it will be made up by the early days of February. Defends Aid Sent to Reds, Wishes ‘It Had Been More. This was a decision of major strategy and policy, and any one can see that it was right to put it first when they watched the wonderful achievements of the Rus- sian Army. Our munitions were, of course, only a contribution to the Russian victory. But they were an en- couragement in Russia’s darkest hour. Moreover, if we had not shown this loyal effort to help our ally—al- beit at heavy sacrifice to ourselves— I do not think our relations with Premier Stalin and his great coun- try would have been so good as they now are. Nor would our comradeship have been as close, and there might well have spread reproaches on all sides. Far from regretting what we did for Russia, I only wish it was in our power—it was not—to have done more. "I‘hrce or four months ago, at the time when the German advance was rolling onward, we were particularly concerned with the forcing of the Don River. With the capture of Rostov and the invasion of the Caucasus and the reaching of the Batum oil wells by the panzer spearhead of - the German Army, every one who was giving scrutiny and independent thought to the problem will realize how deep was the anxiety in all our breasts. German Advances Periled Allies in Other Theaters. Such an advance would not only have given the Germans oil they are beginning seriously to need, but would have involved destruction of the Russian Fleet and loss of com- mand in the Black Sea. It would have affected the safpty of Turkey and would have exposed to grievous danger Persia, Irag, Syria and Palestine. And beyond those countries—all of which naw are under our control—it would have threatened the Suez Canal and me were ‘We will fight this through to the bitter end what- ever the cost may be'™ Egypt. At the same time that this men- ace defined itself with' increasing reality, Gen. von Remmel, with his From time,to time in the life of $— the press which are hostile and there | been privately intimated to me that | THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1942. Text of ChUrchlII’s Report on War LONDON, Jan. 27.—Following is a text covering all im- portant passages in Prime Minister Churchill's speech in army of 10 German and Italian di- visions entrenched at and behind Halfaya, was preparing to make a decisive attack upon Tobruk pre- liminary to one great attack upon Egypt from the west. The Nile Valley, therefore, was menaced simultaneously by attack {rom the west and by a more remote but in some ways more deadly at- tack from the north. We therefore approved Gen, Sir Olaude J. E. Auchinleck’s plans for building up action by delaying forces in the vast region from Cyprus to the Caspian Sea. On the other flank—the western flank—we prepared to meet Rommel. We hoped to recapture Cyrenaica and the important airfields around Bengasi. But Auchinleck’s main ob- jective was more simple. He set himself to destroy Rommel's army. Auchinleck Credited | With Saving Libya. For more than two months in the desert the most fierce continuous battle has raged between scattered bands of men armed with the latest weapons, seeking each other dawn after dawn and fighting to the death day after day and even long into the night. This was a battle which turned out very different from what had been foreseen, This battle would have been lost on November 24 if Auchinleck had not intervened., changed command and ordered the ruthless pressure of the attack to be maintained without regard for consequences, But for this robust decision we | should have been back on our line, | Tobruk would probably have fallen, and Rommel would probably have marched toward the Nile. Cyrenaica is regained. It has still to be held. We have not succeeded in destroying Rommel's army, but nearly two-thirds of it are wounded, prisoners or dead. In this strange, somber battle of the desert, where our men met the enemy for the first time on equal terms, we have lost in killed and captured about 18,000 officers and British. 6,100 Axis Troops Accounted for in Libya. We have 36,500 prisoners, includ- ing many wounded, of whom 10,500 | are German. We have killed or wounded at least 11500 Germans and 13,000 | Italians—in all the total accounted for is exactly 61,000. Of forces Rommel disposed on No- remains, Eight hundred and fifty-two Ger- man and Itallan aircraft have been destroyed as well at 386 German and Italian tanks. During this battle we had in action more than 45,000 men against enemy forces—if they could be brought to bear—much more than doubly that | strong. I cannot tell what is the position at the present moment in Cyrenaica. | We have a very daring, skillful op- . ponent against us and—may I say +acress the havoc of war-<a great general. - He has certainly received rein- forcements. Another battle even Bow is in progress and I make it a rule never to prophesy beforehand how battles turn out. Not only has the enemy lost nearly three times our losses, but the blue waters of the Mediterranean have —thanks to the enterprise of the navy, our submarines and the air force—drowned a large number of reinforcements which were con- tinually sent, and this process has had further important success during the last few days. So, whether you call it a victory or not, it must be dubbed up to the present moment—for I won't make promises—a highly profitable trans- “ action * ¢ ¢ | Situation in Nile Valley Is Best Since 1940. Let us see what has happened on the other flank * * ¢ There we must thank Russia. The valor of the Russian armies has warded off the dangers which we un- doubtedly ran. The Caucasus and the Russian oil fleld of Baku and the great Anglo- Persian oil flelds are denied to the enemy. ‘While facing Germany and Italy here and in the Nile Valley, we never had the power to provide ef- figely for the defense of the Far It has been the policy of the cab- inet at almost all costs to avoid em- broilment with Japan until we were sure the United States would also be engaged. Winter has come. We have time to strengthen still further our forces in those regions. 1 therefore present to you that the situation in the Nile Valley, both ‘west and east, is incomparably easier than anything we have seen since we were deserted by the Vichy gov- ernment and were set upon by Italy. It is only by the smallest margin that we have succeeded so far in beating Rommel in Cyrenaica, de- stroying two-thirds of his fotces. It is only by the victory of the Russians that we have been spared the overrunning of all those lands, from the Levant to the Caspian, which in turn give access to India, Persia, the Persian Gulf, the Nile Valley and the Suez Canal. Sees Victory Now If All Work Together. The House will see how our re- sources have been strained, by what small margin and what strokes of fortune—for which we claim no credit—we have survived so far. Where .would we have been, I wonder, if we had yielded to the clamor, which was 80 loud three or four months ago, to invade France or, the Low Countries? Every ton of our shipping, our flotilla, every airplane, the whole strength of our srmy would bave been fighting for their life on French shore or the shores of the Low Countries, and these troubles in the Far East and the Middle East might have sunk into insignificance compared with the question of another and far worse Dunkerque. | | ‘We have only had two and a half years of fighting and we have only just managed to keep our heads above water. It looks as if we were in for a very bad time. But, provided we all stand together and provided we throw in the last spasms of our strength, it also looks more than it ever did before as if we were going to win. 1 War Production Rises In Tanks, Guns and Planes. 1 we' had moved large armies which were urgently needed on the | another such stroke from ever being | troops and equipment, but trans- war fronts to regions which were not at war and might never have been at war, we should have been al- together wrong. We have lain under the threat of attack from Japan with which we had no means of coping. But as time passed the mighty United States, under the leadership of President Roosevelt, for reasons of its own interests and safety but also out of chivalrous regard for the cause of freedom and democracy, has drawn ever nearer to the strug- gle and now that this blow has fallen it does not fall on us alone. On the contrary, it falls upon United States forces and united na- tions which unquestionably are capable of enduring the struggle, re- trieving their losses and preventing delivered again. ‘We are producing more than twice as many and far more complicated guns every month than in the peak 1917-18 war period, as well as s>rvice rifies. Tank production has doubled in the last six months. Small-arms production is more than twice what it was six months ago. * Filled rounds of ammunition dou- bled in the last six months. In afrcraft production there is a steady increase, not only in num- bers, but in size and quality, though it is not all the increase I looked for. Transport Limits Ameunt Of Aid te Be Sent to East. But this has nothing to do with the preparations it was open to us to make in Malaya, Burma and the | Far East. ‘The limiting factor has not been port. From the moment this Govern- ment was formed, every scrap of shipping we could draw away from our vital supply route, every U-boat escort we could divert from the Battle of the Atlantic has been used to its utmost capacity to carry g::ps. tanks and munitions to the t. There has been a ceaseless flow. The decision was taken, as I have explained, to make our contribu- tions to Russia, try to beat Rommel and form a strong front from the | Redistribution of Forces out lodgments over this immense area and to organize, before they lose command of the seas, local command of the air, which will render their expulsion a matter of considerable time and exertion. Such an attack could not be met by local defense. * * * These con- ditions will be reversed as th& bal- ance of sea and air power changes, as it will surely change. Very Heavy Punishment Expected in Far East. T cannot tell how long it will last. All T can tell the House is that it will be attended by very heavy pun= ishment which we shall have to en~ dure, * * * We should not allow ourselves to become rattled when this or that place has been captured because, once the ultimate power of the United Nations is brought into play, it will move forward remorselessly provided we persevere and remain united. I would like, in the name of the House, to express my tribute to the splendid courage and quality with which the small American army under Gen. MacArthur has resisted so brilliantly for so long the hordes of Japanese hurled against it by | superior air and sea power. Amid our own troubles we send Gen. MacArthur, his soldiers and the Pilipino troops who are defend- ing their native soil with vigor and courage our salute * * °. A hard-fought battle is raging on the approaches to Singapore in the Malay Peninsula. I am not going to make any forecast except to say it will be fought to the last inch by British, Australian and Indian troops. Made on December 12. On December 12, at the moment when the situation in the Pacific and at Pear]l Harbor disclosed itself, it was possible to make a swift re- | distribution of our forces. . Gen. Auchinleck was making headway in Cyrenaica; the Russian front not only stood unbroken but had begun to advance and we were able to order a large number of measures which may be judged as men, of whom the greater part are | Levant to the Caspian. vember 18 little more than one-third | It follows we could only make | partial provision in the Far East against the hypothetical danger of a Japanese onslaught. | Sixty thousand men were, indeed, | concentrated at Singapore but pri- | ority of aircraft, tanks, anti-air- craft, anti-tank and munitions was | accorded the Nile Valley. | Takes Personal Responsibility | For Singapore Defenses. _ | For this decision in its broad| strategic aspects and also its diplo- matic policy toward Russia I take the fullest personal responsibility. ‘Why, therefore, should I be called upon to pick our scapegoats, throw blame upon generals and sacrifice my loyal and trusted colleagues to appease the clamor of certain sec- tions of the British and Australian | press or take the edge off our re- | verses in the Far East? If I were capable of rendering this country no further service when, | therefore, I am told to jettison Duff | and to throw him to the wolves, I can only say that I much regret I am unable to gratify such | wishes, or words to that effect. It seemed irrational * to sup- pose .that the Japanese, having thrown away the opportunity of at- tacking us in the autumn of 1940, when we were so much weaker and all alone, should have at this period come into a desperate struggle against the combined forces of the British Empire and the United States. Nevertheless nations, like individ- uals, commit irrational acts, and there were forces at work in Japan —violent, murderous, fanatical, ex- plosive forces—which no one could measure. Counted on United States To Enter War in Pacific. On the other hand the probability, since the Atlantic Conference at which I discussed these matters with President Roosevelt, that the United States, even if not herself attacked, would come into the war in the Far East and thus make the final victory assured, allayed some of these anxieties and that expectation has not been falsified by events. This fortified our British decision to use our limited resources the actual fighting front. As time went on we have had greater assurance that, if Japan ran amok in the Pacific, we should not find ourselves alone. It must also be remembered that over the whole Pacific seas brooded the powerful United States fleet con- centrated at Hawali. It seemed very unlikely that the Japanese would attempt a distant invasion of the Malay Peninsula, an assault on Singapore and an attack on the Netherlands Indies while leaving behind them, on flank and rear, this great American Fleet. When I reached the United States further steps were taken by the President, with my cordial assent, to move from many directions every- thing that ships could carry and all air power which could be flown to suitable areas. However, to strengthen the posi- tion, we sent the Prince of Wales and Repulse to form the spearpoint of the considerable battle squadron which we felt able to form in the Indian Ocean. Japs’ Treacherous Attack Reversed the Situation. On December 7 the Japanese, by a sudden and treacherous attack delivered while their envoys still were negotiating in Washington, crippled for the time being the American Pacific Fleet and in a few days inflicted a very heavy naval loss on us by sinking the Prince of Wales and the Repulse. For a time, therefore, naval su- periority in the Pacific and the Malayan Archipelago passed into the hands of Japan. How long it will remain in Jap- anese hands is a matter on which I do not_intend to speculate, but it ‘will be. long enough for Japan to Anflict - many heavy and painful losses on all the United Nations 'who have possessions in the Far | | to their results as the next few weeks and months unfold. The House would be very ill-ad- }vlsed to suppose that- the seven | weeks which have passed since De- cember 7 have been weeks of apathy | | or indecision in the English-speak- ing world. Quite a lot has been going on. Now that we are working (in closest partnersh¥p with the United States and have also to con- sider the great alliance with Russia and China as well as the bonds which unite us with the rest of the 26 United Nations and Dominions, it is evident that our system must {be 1u1!‘:nrepheompkx than -hereto- ore. e physical and geggraph- ical difficulties of finding & gommon center for the leaders of mations and the great staffs ‘of nations which cover the whole world are insuperable. ¥ Tells Workings of Unified Military Command. I, however, have arranged with President Roosevelt that the war can be discussed from fully'by all'the Riding’ political authorities concernéd, and that there be a body in Washington the,combined chiefs-of: staffs ttee consisting of three United States chiefs of staffs—men of the highest distinction—and three officers representing and acting un- der general instructions of the Brit- ish Chiefs of Staffs Committee in London. This body will advise the Presi- dent and, in event of a divergence of views between the British and American chiefs of staff or three ity hd | Situation to House of Commons styled the Anzac area and are un- der United States command. _ Communications between the Anzac area and North America are the United States’ responsibility, while cémmunications across the Indian Ocean to India remain the British responsibiltiy. Now I come to the question of our own empire or commonwealth of nations, .. Australia Given Voice In Empire War Cabinet. The fact that Australia and New Zealand are in the immediate dan- zone ' reinforces the demand be represented in the war cabi- of Great Britain. We always have been ready to {gfln imperial war cabinet con- iining the Prime Ministers of the Ir domirions. Australian government now hes asked” specifically that an ac- crgdifed representative of the commonwealth government have the right to be heard in the war cabinet in the formulation and direction of policy. We have, of colibee, agreed to this. New Zealand feels bound to ask similar representation and the same facilities will of course be available | to Canada and South Africa. We shall not put any obstacle to the return of the splendid Aus- tralian troops who volunteered for | ¢2nning during the summer months | imperial service to defend their | own homeland or whatever part of | | the Pacific theater may be thought | most expedient. | I think the Japanese are much | tributed equitably throughout the | more likely to be establishing them- selves in those districts they have occupied than to undertake a seri- ous mass invasion of Australia. That would be a very ambitious overseas operation for Japan to | undertake in the precarious and limited period before the British | and American navies regain, as they must certainly regain through new building and other reasons, un- q&e:uom.bh command of the Pa- cific. Everything in human power that we can do or persuade the United States to do to help Australia we will do. Considerable Forces Sugar Rafion Likely To Be Under Pound, Henderson Reveals Public Eating Places, Seasonal Uses to Cut Family Share ‘The Nation's sugar users today were faced with the prospect of an initial rationing of not more than three-quarters of a pound per per- son each week for home consump- tion, instead of the one-pound por- tion estimated when the rationing program was announced over the week end. Price Administrator Leon Men- derson explained last night that| | stocks will permit an allotment of | about 50 pounds a year to each per- | son, but that part of this average will be consumed by persons who Admiral’s Papers ‘More Important’ Than Knox's Rear Admiral W. H. P. Blandy, chief of the Navy’'s Bureau of Ord- nance, won an argument with a Capitol guard yesterday about the importance of secret papers he car- ried in his brief case. The admiral was in full uniform when stopped by the guard with a request to see the contents of the brief case. The Navy officer replied that papers in the case were of a secret nature. “I always examine the papers of Secretary Knox's brief case,” the guard was quoted as saying. “Do you think you are more important than he is?” “No, but I carry more important papers than he does” the sdmiral replied. He carried his point. ‘British Broaden Plan eat in hotels, restaurants and in- | stitutions. Seles for home use, therefore, will | have to be curtailed to the extent recessary to allow for use in such | establishments. Mr. Henderson also | noted that some sugar would have !u» be held back early in the year to | meet seasonal demands for home and for the winter holidays. “It may be necessary at the out- | set of the plan to hold sales down | so that existing stocks can be dis- country,” Mr. Henderson pointed out, “thus assuring adequate sup- plies in all areas.” O. P. A. officials insist they have | plans for recovering hoarded sugar supplies even from shelves of house- holders, if necessary, and advised | persons having large stocks on hand | to begin using them immediately. | Mr. Henderson, in addition, appealed to housewives to consume hoarded sugar before buying additional sup- plies as a patriotic duty. “This is an opportunity for every one to make a personal contribution to the war,” he said. “The Army sugar to make smokeless powder. Coming From America. The moment the United States was attacked by Japan, Germany | and Italy I was sure it was my- duty | to cross the Atlantic and establish closest possible relationship with the President and the Government of the United States, and also to de- ct between Saving on sugar means powder for our soldiers and sailors.” The aim of the O. P. A. is to re- duce consumption from an average | of about 75 pounds per person in | 1941 to about 50 pounds in 1942, or | & general reduction in both indus- | trial and household use of approx- | imately one-third. The program is | and Navy need alcohol derived trom | 0f Medical Education Ernest Brown, Minister of Health in London, explained in Parliament | recently the steps being taken to | provide a new system of hospital organization and medical education for the whole country. At the same time it was announced that a Nuffield fund of $600,000 had been established to promote insur- ance plans which will help profes~ sional and middle-class patients ob- tain expensive forms of treatment. To obtain certain methods of cure which are so costly that only rich persons can now afford them, mem- bers of the middle and professional classes have in some districts joined | together in a kind of insurance fund. | Beds in certain hospitals are re- | served for such patients. The gov- ernment funds will help greztly to supply costly apparatus needed in many cures. Battle (Continued From First Page) ing one of the enemy submarines, Tokio headquaraters said. Battle Continuing. The now-historic running battle in Macassar Strait was continuing, | it was learned reliably, although the | Navy Department here was silent on the details of operations as the ac- tion moved into its fifth day. It was now evident that the Allies ff and the | €XPected to get underway early next | had acquired two new advantages American chiefs of staff. During the three weeks I spent in President Roosevelt's home and family I established with him rela- tions not only of comradeship but, I think I may say, of friendship. “We can say anything to each other, however painful. When we parted he wrung my hand, saying “We will fight this through to the bitter end whatever the cost may be.” At Washington we and our com- | month. Ration cards have been sent to printers. Woman Finds Purse {And $100 She Discarded CADIZ, Ohio () —Mrs. Joseph Gape got 40 miles away before she found she had tossed away an old | pocketbook containing five $20 bills, | three diamond rings and a ruby ring, neglecting to transfer her val- uables to a new purse she had pur- bined staffs surveyed the entire| ;. .4 scene and reached a number of im- portant and practical decisions. One of these affects future opera- tions and cannot be mentioned. The vanguard of an American Army already has arrived in the United . Very considerable American forces are following as opportunity may serve.' . p’ggese forces will take their sta- tions in the British Isles and face with us whatever is coming our way. They impart to the forces of the British Isles a freedom of movement greater than we should otherwise have U. S. Planes to Aid Offensive Against Reich. Numerous United States fighter representatives, the difference must | and bomber squadrons will also take be adjusted by personal agreement | governments. closest of the allied associated powers. In order to wage war effectively we should propose to those con- cerned the setting up of a Pacific Council in London on & ministerial plane, comprising Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands East Indies assisted by the British chiefs of staffs and the great staff organizations be- neath them. Thus the united view of the Brit- ish Commonwealth and the Dutch would be transmitted * * * to the combined Chiefs of Staff Committee sitting in Washington. | Pacific Council Plans Are Not Yet Ready. The Dutch government sitting in | London may be willing to agree to this arrangement. But the Aus- tralian government desire and the New Zealand government prefer that this council, of the Pacific should be in Washington, where it would work alongside the Combined Chiefs of Staff Committee. I have, therefore, transmitted the views of these Dominions to the President. I have not yet received nor do I expect for a few days his Teply. . I am not, therefore, in position today to anmounce, as I hoped, final arrangements for the Pacific Council. The supreme commander (Gen. ‘Wavell) has assumed control of the fighting area in the Southwest Pacific. We do not propose to din the supreme commander with fre- quent instructions. He has his gen- eral orders. ' Our duty, upon which we have been consistently engaged for some time, is to press reinforcements of every kind, especially air, into the new war zone from every quarter and by every means and with the between President Roosevelt and in | myslf, representing our respective utmost speed. . ‘The =astward approach to Aus- tralia and New Zealand have been MADE TO MEASURE TO PHONE or WRITE ond o ';:nuu 703 ALBEE BLDG. | Mrs. Gape drove back and searched the street where the purse was discarded. Then she made | house-to-house calls until she | reached the home of .A. W. Albright, who returned the purse, He had found it in the street. as the considerable forces we are able to handle at present. I expect and I have made no se- cret of it that we shall both receive severe {1l usage at Japanese hands in 1942. 5 But I believe we shall presently regain naval command in the Pa- cific and begin to establish effective superiority in the air. Then later on, from the great | basic areas of Australia, India and the Dutch East Indies, we shall be in their methodical ind-sky campaign of warship and transport destruction in the strait’s shark-in- fested waters. ‘The torpedo of an American sub- marine deprived the enemy of the only aircraft carrier believed oper- ating with the once huge invasion ada. The Navy last night listed thé carrier as “probably sunk,” but even if she were kept afloat some- how her disabled condition would immobilize her remaining planes, both for offensive and vital scouting missions. The second advantage arose from the Allied success in drastically re- ducing the speed of the originally slow-moving enemy armada. Mer- ciless pounding has crippled num- bers of its vessels, and a convoy is tied to the speed of the hardest- hit ship—unless it sacrifices its cas- ualties. The Japanese convoy already has spent more than four full days try- ing to negotiate the disastrous 414 miles of the Macassar Strait—a fact that speaks volumes. And the slow- er a convoy's pace, the easier prey its ships make for fast-striking warships and bombers or lurking submarines. To multiply the difficulties of the | enemy, January and February are |the worst weather months in the | | part in thé defense of Britain and | gple to set about our tasks in good | strait, with rain, heavy squalls and the every-increasing offensive against Germany. The United States Navy is linked coming one fleet. In the next place we have formed which the principal partners at present are Great Britain, the British Empire, the United States, the U. 8. S. R, China, together with the stout-hearted Dutch. This union is based upon the principles of the Atlantic charter. It aims at the destruction of Hit- lerism in all its forms in all cor-] ners of the globe. We will march forward together until every vestige of this villainy has been extirpated from the life of the world. Thirdly, we have addressed our- serves to the war against Ja- e Fourthly, we have established a vast common pool of weapons, mu- nitions, raw materials and shipping. American Production Figures Discussed. I had a talk with President Roosevelt last night on the tele- phone, as a result of which the an- nouncement of war boards was made early this morning in the United States. * * ¢ Many people have been staggered by the figure of the prospective American output of war weapons which the press announced. Lord Beaverbrook and I made acquaintance beforehand with the bases upon which these colossal pro- grams are founded, and I myself heard the President confide their specific tasks to the chiefs of Ameri- can industry and heard these men accept their prodigious tasks and declare they could and would fulfil them. Most important of all is the multi- plication of joint tonnage at sea. Though American programs already are vast they have been increased in proportion of 100 to nearly 160. f they are completed, as I believe they will be, we shall be able to move across the ocean next year two, three and even four times as large AT AV SHAPE TABLE tive will coll at your home for measurements. cherge for the service. Super-heavy Peds aveilable ot smell edditional cherge. LOCAL TABLE PAD CO. Phone RE. 2121 style in 1943. Defeat of Japan would not neces- sarily entail defeat of Hitler, where- We must also concert to give the | in the most intimate union with the | a5 defeat of Hitler will enable the possible association with | Admiralty. Both in the Atlantic and | whole force of the United Nations Premier Stalin, Generalissimo Chi- | the Pacific we shall plan our naval J to be concentrated on the defeat of | ang Kai-Shek, as well as the rest moves together as if we literally were Japan. But there is no question of regard- ing the war in the Pacific as a sec- against Japan, it was agreed that & league of 26 United Nations in | ondary operation. The only limita- E tion to its vigorous prosecution will | be the shipping available. It is most important that we should not overlook the enormous contribution of China to this struggle for world freedom and de- mocracy. If there is any lesson I brought back from the United States that I could express in one word it would be China. ‘When we feel the sharp military qualities of Japanese soldiery in con- tact with our own troops, we must remember that China, ill-armed or half-armed, has for four and a half years single-handed withstood under her glorious leader, Gen. Chiang | Kai-shek, the main fury of Japan. We shall pursue the struggle hand | in hand with China and do every- iv.hing in our power to give them |arms and supplies, which are all | they need to vanquish the invader and play a magnificent part in the forward movement of the United Nations. I have never ventured to predict the future. I stand by my original program of blood, toil, tears and sweat which are all I have ever of- fered, but to which I added five months later many shortcomings, mistakes and disappointments, It is because, however, I see a light gleaming behind the clouds and broadening upon our path, that I make bold now to demand a dec- laration of confidence of the House of Commons as an additional weap- on in the armory of the United Nations. rough seas making navigation par- ticularly hazardous for shipping. Type Carrier Not Identified The torpedoing of the Japanese air carrier was the first positive evidence that the United Nations had submarines operating in the strait, but observers here had sus- pected their presence as soon as the Macassar sea engagement assumed major proportions. They thought it | likely that the Allied high command in the South Pacific would have its pig-boats in position. in case the Japanese sought to rush heavy naval reinforcements to the rescue of the luckless convoy. The Navy Department communi- que did not identify the type carrier which the United States submarine ‘mrpedoed. The Japanese carriers are relatively small compared with ‘the larger American ships in that category. They range from 7,100 to 26,900 tons, with the smaller ones | carrying about 30 planes and the larger ones, between 50 and 60. | Japan was credited with eight | carriers in service—some authorities | say nine—at the start of the war, {and two under construction. The | United States strength then was | 7 built and 11 building. . Although the main theater of United States naval operations was obvioysly in Macassar Strait at the moment, Admiral Thomas C. Hart was getting in blows elsewhere with units of the Asiatic Fleet to keep the enemy occupied. The Navy Department disclosed late yesterday that the fleet’s mile- a-minute mosquito torpedo boats had paid a return visit to Subic Bay on Luzon Island in the Philippines and sunk their second 5,000-ton enemy ship in those waters. The first was sent to the bottom in a daring raid on the same harbor last week. for immedi 1409 H Hickeg-Freeman | Army Officers’ Uniforms Officers’ Jackets, Trousers and Overcoats customized by Hickey- Freeman are available ate delivery GOLDHEIM'S STREET