“ON UP-GRADE”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20914, 14 October 1942, Page 3

“ON UP-GRADE”

ALLIED STRENGTH VICTORYASSURED HUGE FIGHTING FORCE ROOSEVELT'S REVIEW (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Oct. 13. “The American people are united as never before in their determination to do the iob and do it well. The whole nation is becoming one great fighting force. ' Some are soldiers, some sailors, and some civilians. Some are fighting high up in aeroplanes and some are fighting in mines deep down in the earth. Few of us are decorated for heroic achievement. but all can have the deep, permanent, inner satisfaction that comes from doing the best we know how each playing an honourable part in the great struggle to save democratic: civilisation. Whatever our circumstances or opportunities, we are all in it. Our spirit is good and we Ame ricans and our allies are going t< win. Don’t let anyone tell you anything different.” These, said President Roosevelt, it a world-wide broadcast, were the main things be observed on his recent tour of inspection With every passing week, the war increased in scope and intensity, he said. The strength of the United Nations was on the upgrade. The Axis leaders, on the contrary,, knew that they had already reached their full strength. Then steadily mounting losses of men and material could not be fully replaced. Axis Leaders’ Apologies

“Germany and Japan were already realising what .the inevitable result will be when the total strength of the United Nations hits them at additional places,” he said. “The war oJ nerves is now becoming a boomerang The Axis leaders have begun to apologise to their own people for the repulse of their vast forces at Stalingrad and the enormous casualties. They are compelled to beg their overworked people to rally their weakened production. They are proclaiming that a second front is impossible but at the same time are desperately rushing troops in ah directions and stringing barbed wire all the way from the coast of Finland to the islands of the eastern Mediterranean.

“Meanwhile, they are driven tc increase the fury of their atrocities. We have made i.t clear that the United Nations will not seek reprisals against the populations of Germany, Italy, and Japan, but the ringleaders and their brutal henenmen must bt named, apprehended and tried in accordance with the judicial processes of criminal law.” President Roosevelt said he expectde to make other trips similar to his recent one and for similar purposes. Until he made his recent tour he had not thoroughly visualised the Amerian war effort, which was deeply impressive. The United States had been at war for only 10 months and was engaged in the enormous. task ol multiplying the armed forces many times. Problem of Shipping “We are by no means at full prodution level yet,” he added, “but 1 could not help asking myself on the trip where we would be to-day if we had not begun to build many factories for this huge increase more than two years ago, more than a yeai before war was forced upon us at Pearl Harbour. We also had to face the problem of shipping. Ships in every part of the world continue to be sunk by enemy action, but the total tonnage of , shipping coming from American, Canadian, and British shipyards daily has increased so fast that we are getting ahead of our enemies in the bitter battle of transportation. We had to enlist many thousands of men for .the mercantile marine. They are serving magnificently and risking their lives every hour so that guns, tanks, planes, ammunition. and food maV be carried to the heroic defenders of Stalingrad and all the United Nations forces throughout the world.” The President said lie was impressed on his tour by the number ol women employed on skilled manual work. Within a year there probably would be as many yeomen as men working in war production plants.“Having seen the quality of the work and workers on production lines and coupling these observations with reports of the performance of oui weapons on the righting fronts, I car, mat we are getting ahead of oui enemies in the battle of production,’ he said. “In order to keep stepping up our production we have adaec millions ol workers to the nation’s total labour force. Additional mil lions must be found as new factories come into operation. We must learn to ration man-power and must use older men. more women, and even grown boys and girls to replace mep ol military age and fitness. We must cease the wastage of labour in ah non-essential activities.” Decisions o-n Strategy Discussing the training of the fighting forces. President Roosevelt said: "A division of men of an average age of 23 or 24 years is a better fighting unit than one with an average age of 33 or 34. The more o, such troops we have in the field the sooner the war will be won and the smaller will be the casualties. Therefore. I believe it will be necessary tc lower the present minimum age foi service from 20 years to 18 years. The men in .the army, navy, ana marines are receiving the best possible training, equipment, and medical care. Good training will save many lives in battle. The effectiveness of our combat units will depena on the quality of their leadership ano the wisdom of the strategic plans.”

The President added that the plans would not be decidd by those who expounded their views in the press, thev would be left to the military leaders of the United Nations wnc were in substantial agreement on the plans. Many major decisions oi strategy had been made. One on which all were agreed related to the necessity of diverting enemy iorces from Russia and China to other theatres of war by new offensives against Germany and Japan.

“We are mindful of the countless millions of people whose future liberty, whose very lives, depend upon a permanent victory for tne United Nations,” he concluded. “The objective to-day is clear and. realistic. i. is .to destroy completely the military power of Germany, Italy, and Japan to such good purpose that then threat against us and all the other United Nations cannot be revived a generation hence. We are united in seehing tne kind of victory mat wn, guarantee that our grandchildren can grow and. under God. live their lives iree Irom the constant threat of invasion, destruction, slavery, and violent death.”