STALIN CONFIDENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 June 1943, Page 3

STALIN CONFIDENT

OF VICTORY OVER COMMON

ENEMY MESSAGES TO ROOSEVELT AND FRENCH LEADERS. TIME COME FOR CO-ORDINATED ACTION. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, June 27, Premier Stalin, in a reply to President Roosevelt and Generals Giraud and de Gaulle, broadcast over the Moscow radio thanking’them for their message of congratulation to the Red Army on its two years’ struggle, emphasised the importance he placed on a second front. To Mr Roosevelt he said: “As a result of the Soviet Union’s two years’ struggle, and the serious blows the Allies inicted on the Italian and German armies in North Africa, the conditions have been created for the final defeat of the common enemy. I have no doubt that victory will come—the sooner we strike our joint and co-ordinated blows against the enemy from the east and

frem the west.” “To Generals Giraud and de Gaulle he said: “Russians are confident that the Allies’ joint effort will terminate in 'complete and final victory.” President Kalinin, in a similar message to Dr. Benes, brought out the same point: "I share your full confidence that the United Nations’ joint active efforts will lead to victory.” The Moscow radio, quoting the Russian journalist, M. Yaroslavsky, said that Russian tank production had increased 38 per cent since last year. A hundred factories working behind the lines were turning out ever-growing quantities of arms and equipment. Russian rail and river transport since the outbreak of war had successfully coped with the transfer of millions of people and vital industries to the eastern areas of Russia. Now railway lines and canals had been built to facilitate the gigantic traffic of troops and arms to the front.