VITAL CONFERENCE

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVII, Issue 21, 27 January 1943, Page 5

VITAL CONFERENCE

CHURCHILL & ROOSEVELT MEET TEN DAYS' TALKS AT CASABLANCA

P.A. Gable.

LONDON, Jan. 26.

Comiplete agreement on war plans for 1943 t© bring about the "unccnditional surrender" of the Germans, Italians and Japanese was anncunced after a ten-day ccnference at Casablanca betwecn Mr Churchill and President Roosevelt. Mr Stalin was invited but was unable to attend because of the necessity of remaining in Russia during the present offensive. Mr Stalin and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek were kept informed of the ccnference decisions. Mr Churchill and Mr Roosevelt met Generals de Gaulle and Giraud, who expressed agreement with their decisions, also agreement between themselves. Mr Churchill's party included Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley - Pound, Sir Alan Brooke (Chief of the Imperial General Staff), Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal (Chief of the R.A.F.), Lord Louis Mountbatten (Chief of Combined Operations), and Sir John Dill (the British representative on the Chiefs-of-Staffs Cofhmittee at Washington) . Mr Roosevelt's party included General George Marshall (Chief of the U.S. Army), Admiral King (Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Navy), General Arnold (Chief of the U.S. Army Air Corps), and Mr Harry Hopkins (the President's personal adviser). v Others participating at the various meetings were Generals Alexander and Montgomery, Air Marshal Tedder and General Eisenhower, of the Middle East and North Africa commands. Presidedt Roosevelt flew to Africa. It was the first time since the days of Lincoln that an American President had visited an active warfront. President Roosevelt told ccrrespondents that they reached the » conclusion that world peace was attainable only by the total elimination of German and Japanese power, which melant an unconditional surrender from the Axis. This did not mean the destruction of1 the populations of the Axis countries but the destruction of their philosophy of hate, fear and subjugation of others. The chiefs of staff kept two primary considerations before them: Firstly, the principle of pooling Allied resourees on a worldwide basis ; secondly, the maintaining of the Allies' initiative throughout the ; world. The President added that a worldwide offensive would be vigorously prosecuted and all possible aid given to Russia and China. Mr Churchill said it was the most important wai* conference1 he had ever witnessed or attended. Nothing which happened throughout the war could come between him and Mr Roosevelt. They were , linked by a friendship which was one cf the Allies' sitrongest sinews of war, making possible things which were ©therwise impcssible between the heads of Allied nations. Mr Churchill praised the great enterprise of .the African attack in which he was_Mr Roosevelt's willing lieutenant, and which altered the whole strategic outlook. It placed the initiative in the Allies' hands, and now they had that precious sovereign treasure in their hands they must labour hard to keep it. Mr Churchill emphasised the thoroughness of the professional discussions accompanying the conference, x and expressed the Allies' unconquerable will to pursue the war to an "unconditional surrender." PROBABLE DECISIONS.

An earlier New York P.A. Cable stated: A highly- important announcement on Allied war strategy is expected hourly. New York radio says: "We are on the eve of great military and political events which will alter the whole strategy of the war." Some American newspapers say that the announcement, which will be made simultaneously in Washington and London, will be the most dramatic of the war. According to the New York Sun's Washington correspondent, complete understanding on Allied leadership has been reaehed. Changes in the North African political situation are also expected. Mr Flanson Baldwin, writing in the New York Times, says that the sweeping Russian victories and reports from London and Washington of strategic conversations on the highest levels demonstrate that the course and perhaps the duration of the war is now being determiiied. The reported Allied conference may remedy the present lack of global strategy and solve several problems, the most important of which are, firstly, the creation of a supreme war council on which the United States, Russia and China would be represented; secondly, the resumption of the offensive in the Pacific; thirdly, the allocation of supplies to China and Russia; fourthly, the creation of a seccnd front in Europe.