TASKS AHEAD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 January 1942, Page 4

TASKS AHEAD

CONSTANT VIGILANCE NEEDED MORE RUTHLESS PROSECUTION OF WAR. SURVEY BY CAPT. BALFOUR. i ’ 1 (British Official Wireless.) ' RUGBY, January 14. The need for constant vigilance in order to be thoroughly prepared for the tasks ahead, and also for a more ruthless prosecution of the war was stressed by Captain H. Balfour. Under-Secretary for Air, in a speech in London.

“I do not see that Hitler can give up the struggle till at some time, perhaps, as a gambler's last throw, he attempts invasion, preceded in all probabality by renewed mass air attacks. Do not let the lull in air warfare cause us to minimise for one moment of the 24 hours the need for increasing the efficiency of the civil defence services. Nor should we allow darkness to fall on any single evening without finding us ready in mind and in body to meet an attack that very night. Only by this constant vigilance shall we keep ourselves up to the standard which one day jve shall find not one whit too high for the task ahead.

••Today we have an air force of equality in strength with that of Germany. It is true that would have been done quicker if only numbers were to count, but those responsible for our air policy consistently refused to be tempted away by the lure of great totals on paper and rigorously and forcibly insisted that the rate of cur expansion should be governed by the cardinal principle that never must we sacrifice operational efficiency of equipment for mere numbers of aircraft. BOMBER FORCE GROWING. “We have a growing bomber force which, as Sir Archibald Sinclair said last week, is ready for a powerful and lasting offensive against Germany when the present cycle of exceptional weather changes. We have a Fighter Command ready to resist any swing of the Luftwaffe to the Western Front, and which, by our offensive sweeps over enemy-occupied territory, succeeded in engaging a large part of the Luftwaffe, which undoubtedly Hitler would have liked before now to have sent over the Eastern Front, where he is facing defeat by the Russians. “We have an air force in Libya which has given us definite air superiority over the Germans and Italians. “As to the Far East, I will not. sa?z anything about this situation except that our squadrons there are not going to be left unsupported. “Though humanity has tried for thousands of years past, no one yet has been able to get more than a pint out of a pint pot. and as the country has been told, if over the past months we had sent resources to the Far East capable of equalising the enemy in numbers, it could only have been done at the expense of our help to Russia, our superiority in Libya, or the essential security of this country. AID TO RUSSIA. “We have given real help to Russia by the continued dispatch each month of large numbers of aircraft. The value of this help is immense, for as we receive reports how the Russians are routing the Germans we hear how our tanks and aircraft are rendering vital help, in this about turn and retreat of the enemy. It only needs such a visit to Russia as I was fortunate to pay a few weeks ago to see first hand the mechanical and technical efficiency of their production effort, the quality of the aircraft produced, the ability of their pilots to fly their aircraft or ours, and finally the absolute determination of M. Stalin and his Government and people that Russia shall drive out utterly and crush the invader. “As to the future, it is no good refusing to face the facts or unpleasant possibilities. The short

term position is we may have to

meet difficult and possibly dark days in the Far East campaign. In paths of this war we have not done too badly, but we can and must do much better before we are through. Constant ruthlessness is a quality we must develop.

“We must be ruthless instead of squeamish and rather shocked as when a particular action by an Axis Power, such as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, is described as ‘treachery,’ ‘not cricket,’ or ‘not expected in decent warfare.’

“The hard fact is that surprise, deception, and ‘fifth column’ treachery are the technique of Axis warfare in the same way as false news, lies and the spread of rumour are also weapons of war. We need not-concern ourselves with the morality of any particular action by the enemy, because we know they have no moral sense. What we have got to concern ourselves with is our degree of preparation for such moves.”

Captain Balfour concluded by saying that the coming force in politics was young men from the Services — bold realists and critical, having risked all for those things they will be determined to achieve. After the war “we must be ready to offer them at once a great share of our political responsibilities and opportunities. In this way only can youth serve and be served.”