DEFENCE COUNCIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 July 1941, Page 5

DEFENCE COUNCIL

FORMED IN RUSSIA IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE USE OF RESOURCES. STALIN AS CHAIRMAN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. June 30. The Moscow radio states that owing to the seriousness of the war situation, a Defence Council has been created. In order to mobilise quickly all the resources of the nation the whole authority of the State has been vested in the council. ands.aH citizens and Communist Party and youth organisations must fully carry out its orders. The members are: — Chairman: M. Stalin (Premier and General Secretary of the Communist Party). Vice-chairman: M. Molotov (VicePremier and Foreign Commissar). Marshal Voroshilov (chairman of the Committee of Defence). M. Beria (Commissar for Home Affairs). M. Malenkov (member of the Soviet Presidium).

The Russians have conscripted all able-bodied men between the ages of 15 and 50. and women between 16 and

45 in Leningrad and surrounding areas, for work in connection with the defences.

Reports from all parts of the Soviet Union show that the people are rallying enthusiastically to the war effort. Pensioners and those wounded in the Finnish war are returning to the factories, and women are insisting on relieving men for the army. . The British mission, headed by Lieutenant-General Mason-MacFarlane, had a meeting this morning with members of the Russian general staff. A Moscow message says that these meetings are expected to be continued regularly. The United States Ambassador to Moscow, Mr Steinhardt, conferred with M. Molotov for an hour yesterday.

HIGH SPIRIT MANIFESTED BY PEOPLE. LONDON, July 1. The official Soviet news agency says the whole of the Soviet people is swept by a high tide of patriotic feeling and is inspired by the desire to inflict a crushing defeat on the enemy. In Russian factories, railways, shops and offices and on Russian farms the people show a high standard cf organisation and vigour which will play an important part in the struggle for freedom.

NAZI CLAIM

DESTRUCTION OF RUSSIAN PLANES. (Received This Day. 9.35 a.m.) BERLIN, July L A special communique from the Fuehrer’s headquarters claimed that 280 Russian planes were destroyed yesterday. of which 216 were destroyed by fighters. The communique does not mention the land, operations.