OF EUROPE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 June 1943, Page 4

OF EUROPE

-xL./. alJl L kUPtC AiJUs<j iilijk ALONG 5 ’ STATEMENT BY COLONEL KNOX. PACIFIC ROUTE TO RUSSIA ' STILL OPEN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.50 a.m.) WASHINGTON, June 22. Preparations for the invasion of Europe “are going forward right along,” Colonel Knox (Secretary for the -Navy) told his Press conference. He added: “We cannot talk in specific terms, but there is no cessation of these activities.” The statement was in response to questions' regarding the new Russian demand for a second front. Replying to inquiries whether the Japanese had recently interfered with Russian supplies across the Pacific, Colonel Knox said the Pacific line to Russia was still functioning. Asked if anything had developed on the Pacific route to Russia likely to provide an international incident, Colonel Knox replied: “Emphatically nothing. Both sides are scrupulously avoiding anything of that nature. Russia is busy with the Germans on the west and Japan does not want to take on Russia.” Colonel Knox said aircraft-carrier construction was making very satisfactory progress. “By December, he added, “we will have several times the number of carriers in- the Navy compared with the end of 1941 and there are plenty of planes and trained pilots for them.”