WAR WILL BE WON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 April 1941, Page 5

WAR WILL BE WON

BY KEEPING BRITAIN GOING PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT CONFIDENT. IN SPITE OF REVERSES IN MEDITERRANEAN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, April 22. President Roosevelt at his Press conference said the war would be won by keeping Britain operating. He cautioned people against drawing conclusions too quickly from day-to-day developments abroad. Mr Roosevelt said he was confident that the defence of Britain would be maintained despite the British reverses in the Mediterranean. He said the war was not to be won by isolated events but by keeping the existing defender of democracy going, and he added without qualification: “The existing defender is Britain.” Mr Roosevelt declared there would be no lessening of shipments of war materials to Britain. The Army Chief of Staff, General Marshall, told the Senate Committee for the Investigation of National Defence that the army had surmounted the main obstacles in the tremendous task it faced of mobilising from peace time to war time strength. Brigadier Twaddle, acting army mobilisation chief, said the United States had an army which could fight tomorrow if it had to. despite certain deficiencies in equipment and training. Ship operators and Government officials are deeply concerned over the growing shortage of seamen, which is mainly attributable to the severe restrictions which the unions have clamped on apprenticeship training programmes. These at present provide only a small number of men to meet the increasing needs. The shortage is aggravated by seamen taking jobs in the navy shipyards where they can earn higher wages. U=BOAT CHASERS ABOUT TO BE DELIVERED TO BRITAIN. OTHERS TO BE AVAILABLE SOON. LONDON. April 23. The United States, has 20 fast motor torpedo boats ready for delivery. to Britain under the Lease and Lend Act. This was announced by Colonel Knox, Secretary of the Navy, who said the boats had a speed of a mile a minute. Eight additional ships would soon be available. Further craft, capable of a speed of 70 miles per hour, were under construction. This follows the transfer of 12 fast revenue cutters of nearly 2000 tons, which were handed over some time ago.