STREAM OF HELP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 September 1941, Page 5

STREAM OF HELP

GOING FROM BRITAIN TO RUSSIA SOME SUPPLIES CUT OFF FROM GERMANY. DR. DALTON ON ECONOMIC WAR. ißritish Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 17. A steady stream of help is now finding its way from Britain to Russia, stated the Minister of Economic Warfare, Dr. Hugh Dalton, in a speech. The Soviet’s fight was a British fight, and the Soviet must be helped and backed to the full, he declared.. Dr. Dalton paid a high tribute to the Russian unity, as well as to the sacrifices the Russians are making to stem the tide of invasion.

Dr. Dalton said that his department had already sent substantial supplies of non-military requirements for which the Russian Government had asked. They included rubber, tin, jute, and other commodities necessary for the continuance of Russian resistance. Every effort was being made by Britain to make good to the utmost of her power the losses Russia had sustained by having to abandon important industrial areas.

The Minister reminded his audience that economic warfare worked slowly but surely, and remarked that though Germany’s European conquests had brought her important economic gains at the same time her attacks had cut off certain other suppliers. Dr Dalton instanced cotton, which Germany previously was getting from Russia, and wool, which hitherto went from Iran. Neither was economic warfare only a matter of blockade. The attacks on German shipping and the dominance of British power had had important results on the enemy’s already overstrained inland transport system. Dr. Dalton illustrated this point by citing the case of the coal traffic between Germany and Italy. Coal used to go by sea, but had to be carried by rail, which involved some 50 trains of 40 trucks daily for an average journey of 800 miles. These wagons had to travel back empty because they were unsuitable for conveying fruit and vegetables, which were Italy’s natural exports. Air raids on enemy rail communications all the time were increasing the strain.

Dr. Dalton said it was estimated that Spitzbergen could have supplied nearly half the coal requirements of the Norwegian industries now harnessed to the German war machine. It would now be necessary for the Germans to bring the necessary coal from Silesia along a route imperilled by British aircraft and submarines.

The Minister spoke of the black list weapon which was jointly wielded with the United States. “Hand in hand,” he said, “we are hunting down all over the world firms which try to trade with the enemy. These are black-listed and barred from trade with any firm in the 1 British Empire. If they are on the American black list as well there is not much more to be said.”

He said he hopefully counted on Allied victory being accelerated by risings and revolts, not only in the occupied territorites, but in the enemy territories themselves.

“Beyond total victory over Hitlerite Germany, and beyond the great cleansing of invaded Europe from the German plague,” he concluded, “our peace aim must shape a new order, only different both from- what Hitler plans and from what we knew before the war. That new order in its broad sweep was sketched in the Atlantic charter on the authority of both Britain and America.”