WAR PLANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 June 1942, Page 3

WAR PLANS

UNITED NATIONS IN FULL AGREEMENT REPORT ON CONFERENCES IN U.S.A. MR CHURCHILL WELCOMED HOME. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 27. “The United Nations have never been in such hearty and detailed agreement on the plans for winning the war.” That sentence forms part of an official statement which was issued on the safe return today of Mr Churchill to England. The statement says: “The week of conferences between President Roosevelt and Mr Churchill covered very fully all the major problems of the war conducted by the United Nations on every continent and every sea. We have taken full cognisance of our disadvantages as well as our advantages, and we do not underrate the task. We conducted our conferences with full knowledge of the power and resourcefulness of our enemies. “In the matter of the production of munitions of all kinds, our survey gives on the whole an optimistic picture. The previously-planned monthly output has not reached the maximum but is fast approaching it on the schedule. SHIPPING PROBLEM. “Because of the wide extension of the war to all parts of the world, the transportation of fighting forces, together with the transportation of munitions of war and supplies still constitute the major problem of the United Nations. “While the submarine warfare on the part of the Axis continues to take heavy toll of our cargo ships, the actual production of new tonnage is greatly increasing month by month. It is hoped that as a result of the steps which were planned at these conferences our respective navies will further reduce the tolls of merchant shipping. “The United Nations have never been in such hearty and detailed agreement on the plans for winning the war as they are today.

AID FOR CHINA & RUSSIA.

“We recognise and applaud the Russian resistance to the main attack being made by Germany ,and we rejoice in the magnificent resistance of the Chinese Army.

“Detailed discussions were held with our military advisers on the methods to be adopted against Japan and for the relief of China,

“While our plans, for obvious reasons, cannot be disclosed, it can be said that coming operations, which were discussed in detail at our Washington conferences between ourselves and outrespective military advisers, will divert German strength from the attack on Russia.

“Mr Churchill and President Roosevelt have met twice before, first in August, 1941, and again in December, 1941, and there is no doubt in their minds that the overall picture is more favourable to victory than it was in either August or December of last year.”

Mr Churchill, who was accompanied back from America by the President’s representative, Mr Averill Harriman, reached Euston just after 4.45 p.m. today, and was greeted by many Ministers, other officials, and by many members of the general public, who had been attracted by the presence of photographers. Wearing the familiar blue reefer jacket and smoking a cigar, Mr Churchill gave an encouraging smile to the waiting party as he alighted from the train.

Among those welcoming him were Mrs Churchill, Miss Mary Churchill, Mrs Randolph Churchill, Major Jack Churchill, Mr C. R. Attlee, Sir Stafford Cripps, Mr Anthony Eden, Sir John Anderson, Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Lieutenant-General Nye, Mr S. M. Bruce, M. Alexander Maisky, Sir John Sinclair, Mr Brendan Bracken, and Dr. Wellington Koo. It is disclosed that Mr Churchill made his voyage to and from America in the Royal Mail aircraft Bristol, of British Overseas Airways, commanded by Captain J. C. Kelly-Rogers, who was in command of the flying-boat Berwick, which brought Mr Churchill back from, his previous visit to America. The Bristol is a Boeing 314 A fly-ing-boat—the largest flying-boat in commercial service in the world, with a cruising range of over 4000 miles.