Rising Confidence

Southland Times, Issue 24875, 15 October 1942, Page 4

Rising Confidence

AT NO TIME since the outbreak of war- have the leaders of the United Nations spoken out so boldly and confidently, and with such complete unanimity of purpose, as have Mr Churchill and President Roosevelt in their almost simultaneous statements printed yesterday. Mr Churchill gave a broad survey of the war situation, dealing for the most part with the European theatre. He made no extravagant claims: all he would say was that August and September were the “least bad” months for the United Nations since January. But he pointed out that the Russians were still “intact, unbeaten and unbroken,” that the position in Egypt was held, that Allied air superiority was growing, that the greatest problem of the United Nations —the submarine menace—was being gradually overcome, and that, as a result of all these developments, the note of confidence with which the German leaders had spoken in the first two years of the war was being replaced by the “dull, low whining note of fear.” Mr Roosevelt dealt for the most part with the growth of Allied production and the high spirit of the American people. But he also spoke confidently of the improvement in the shipping position, claiming that the Allies were at last getting ahead of their enemies in the “bitter battle of transportation.” Mr Churchill made no reference to the prospect of a second front, and President Roosevelt merely reaffirmed that the military leaders of the United Nations had agreed on “the necessity of divei’ting enemy forces from Russia and China to other theatres by new offensives against Germany and Japan.” But neither Prime Minister nor President left any doubt that the day is approaching when the Allies will hit first instead of hitting back. Granted the precious gift of time —President Roosevelt made a telling reference to the incalculable benefits of America’s industrial preparation before her actual entry into the war—the United Nations are approaching the peak of their military and industrial strength; the Axis Powers have as surely passed their peak. There are many difficulties and dangers ahead, and neither speaker attempted to mini-

mize them. Mr Churchill, indeed, ended in the vein of his early speeches, in the war’s darkest days. “Whatever may lie before us, we shall not flinch,” he said. “I am sure we shall rise superior to all oui’ trials and all our duties.” But no one who read the reviews of the two democratic leaders can doubt that the war is entering a more hopeful phase and that 1943 may see a decisive step towards victory.