PASSIVE DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 February 1942, Page 3

PASSIVE DEFENCE

ALLEGED BY SIR R. KEYES ATTACK ON ADMIRALTY AND SHIPYARDS. OFFICIAL REPLY AND DENIAL. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, February 26. “The Admiralty’s passive defence cannot win the war.” said Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes, speaking in the Commons debate on the Naval Estimates. “There have'been opportunities for carrying out more aggressive policies which I know the Prime Minister wanted carried out, but a wonderful chain of committees finds every possible excuse for not doing it. “After making a tour of the country I am shocked to find how far we are from the essential 100 per cent endeavour. I advise the First Lord of the Admiralty to go more among the shipyards, where there is nowhere near a 100 per cent of work going on. Naval officers and men are absolutely disgusted with the slow work when their ships come in for repair. The men of the Navy see men idling and prolonging their work to get overtime. I hope Mr Alexander will shake up the Admiralty good and hard. The Fleet Air Arm started the war with 268 practically obsolete machines. A strong naval air service is essential.”

Mr G. H. Hall, Financial Secretary to the Admiralty, said: “I have seen shipyards production and work figures which do not bear out the allegation that the majority of the workers are slackers. The output could be improved by 15 to 20 per cent if the relationships on both sides of industry could be improved. The shipbuilding industry lost three times as many days as a result of disputes in 1941 as in 1940, and four times as many days on the enginv eering side. These man days lost would have produced 50,000 tons of additional shipping. ’’