WAR SITUATION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 119, 22 May 1942, Page 5

WAR SITUATION

COMPLEXITY OF TASK

Sir S. Cripps On Britain's Huge Transport Task

British Official Wireless

RUGBY, May 21

Sir Stafford Cripps, summing up the debate on the war situation, said the co-ordination of the military, naval and air activities in the war being waged from the Arctic Ocean to Australia, and throughout the Atlantic and Pacific areas, was a task of the greatest complexity. He emphasised the extreme difficulty experienced by the army of moving troops over immense distances under rapidly changing circumstances. The Germans and Italians had rapid interior lines of communications, but we had to move around the perimeter.

Similarly, the Japanese, while they retained temporary control of the Pacific, enjoyed interior lines and sea communication throughout the Pacific area, enabling them rapidly to concentrate their forces wherever they wished to strike. Sir Stafford said he agreed with the view that in these circumstances it was indeed surprising that worse results had not ensued.

He said he did not think either the House or the country realised the terrific attacks from which Malta had suffered, and the enormous amount of aircraft Britain had to get to Malta in order to counter it. During April the Germans made 5000 sorties, and more bombs were dropped on the island during that month than on Britain during any month in the worst period of the blitz.

Assisting Australia and Russia

Regarding Britain's attitude toward Australia, he said, from the operational point of view, Australia had fallen into the sphere of American help, but that did not mean that from the supply point of view Australia was left to the mercies—no doubt, tender mercies—of America. It was quite certain, he said, that Britain would do her utmost to balance Australia's needs against the urgent needs of other theatres of war. Sir Stafford added that Australia would have every sympathy and help that Britain could possibly give her in these difficult times.

When asked his opinion about an inquiry into the Singapore disaster. Sir Stafford said the Government had decided that such an investigation would not be in the best interests of effectively prosecuting the war because, for one thing, no inquiry could be conducted among those who had fallen into Japanese hands, and, furthermore, at a moment so critical for the existence of India it would be madness to plunge General Sir Archibald Wavell, formerly the Commander-in-Chief of Singapore, into the details of an inquiry which might be particularly concerned with his competence as a commander-in-chief.

Sir Stafford also reiterated that the policy of assisting Russia was being continued. Dealing with the bombing of Germany, he said that this was, in the view of the British Government, of material assistance to the Russians, and the best way that Britain could give that assistance until such time as she was able to make a carefully planned attack on tiie Continent of Europe, which she intended to do as soon as possible. "The House can rest assured," he finished, "that this bombing of Germany is not a question of first principle, but part of our strategy, and is inter-linked with the 'whole strategy in all theatres of the war."