BRITISH SEAPOWER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1941, Page 4

BRITISH SEAPOWER

SPEECH BV FIRST LORD ON JUTLAND ANNIVERSARY. PASSAGE THROUGH CRUCIAL MONTHS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 31. Stating that this was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Jutland, the First "Lord of the Admiralty, Mr Alexander, in a speech in Edinburgh, said that after this encounter' the German High Sea Fleet never came out agaili till ii had sailed into the Firth of Forth to surrender. The action just fought, which had ended in the destruction of the Bismarck, might be regarded as an augury of a similar course of events. We were passing through very crucial months of the war for freedom. Once more in Crete our Imperial troops and Greek regiments had fought most gallantly without any adequate air fighters for protection against a tremendously powerful enemy who was reinforced and supplied by an air armada working from close bases. In these circumstances it had fallen to' the lot of the Royal Navy, also with very little - air protection to protect the Crete garrison and put in reinforcements under almost continuous dive-bombing attacks. Losses of ships and damage to ships had been very grievous and severe, but their service had been given loyally and at once in the spirit that the Navy could not let the Army down. Referring to American aid, Mr Alexander said that President Roosevelt’s recent declaration, backed by the speech which he believed clearly indicated that Hitler would not be allowed to win, was of the greatest importance. Great strides were being made in supplies of materials from the United States, and other large quantities were coming in from the Dominions. and if wo all put forth every effort to maintain and Increase our own war programme, he felt there could be no doubt of ultimate victory.