AID TO RUSSIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 August 1941, Page 5

AID TO RUSSIA

ADVOCATED IN BRITAIN INTENSIFYING TWO-FRONT WAR., TRIBUTES TO RED ARMY. LONDON, July 31. Military observers in Britain, • commenting on Mr Churchill’s warning that an invasion of Britain might come at any moment, argue that the surest way of dealing with an invasion is to send | every ounce of aid possible to Russia and so create a two-front war. . Why, observers ask, snould Britain lull herself into complacency with the belief that the R.A.F. can smash or even seriously impair Germany's war industry within a few weeks when the German air force could not smash Britain’s industries in nearly a year? “The secret of the excellent performance of the Red Army is that it simply refuses to play the game as laid down by the Nazi war lords,” says Mr Frank Owen, editor of the “Evening Standard,” in an article criticising the British leaders who underrated the Soviet military power and who have delayed active assistance for Russia. Mr Owen says: “When the panzers break through, the Russians behave like a self -sealing aeroplane tank; they close up and absorb the bullet. The truth is plairt enough. “For 20 years the Russians have devoted 25 per cent of all their wealth to their army. For 20 years they have rehearsed defence against an attack from just the quarter whence it has come. Finally, the Russians taught their people total war while Hitler merely taught his barbarians total destruction. “The physical development of the Soviet Union was there for everyone to see. Did nobody from official Britain see this and recognise what it was? If someone had, surely we should not be now gaping at the Russian effort. We should be throwing in every ounce of aid we could give to this magnificent ally.”

BENES GOVERNMENT ! — i RECOGNISED BY UNITED STATES. LONDON, July 30. It is officially announced in Washington that the United States has recognised the Government of President Benes in London as the Government of Czechoslovakia. SOVIET REPORT 'British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, July 31. A Russian afternoon communique states that battles continued throughout the night in the directions of Porkhov, Novorzuv, Smolensk and Jitomir. There was no large-scale fighting in other sectors. Soviet aircraft, in co-ordination with land forces, operated against enemy mechanised units, infantry and artillery. NAZI LOSSES MINISTER’S SON KILLED IN RUSSIA. (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) LONDON, July 31. A Berlin radio message this morning, mentioning the death ofHans Keitel, said the son of the Minister for the Interior, Dr. Frick, has also been killed in Russia. AMERICAN HELP MR HOPKINS’S VISIT TO MOSCOW. MOSCOW, July 31. Mr Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt’s special envoy, who arrived in Moscow yesterday from England, delivered to M. Stalin a message from Mr Roosevelt, and M. Stalin handed to him a message for the President in which he expressed his heartfelt appreciation of the offer of assistance. Mi’ Hopkins in an interview said he would be seeing M. Stalin several times before leaving. Already he had discussed the war situation with him,

and M. Molotov and the United States Ambassador were present during the early discussions. When questioned about payment for delivered goods and materials, Mr Hopkins said he was sure no difficulties would arise. He pointed out that he had arrived in Moscow on Mr Roosevelt’s initiative and was authorised to discuss methods of the struggle against Hitler. He added that he found the-Russians very confident. During a tour of the capital he had noticed very little airraid damage.