UNWISE OPTIMISM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 September 1943, Page 3

UNWISE OPTIMISM

DENOUNCED BY AMERICAN ’ MINISTER NEED OF SUSTAINED EFFORT.HEAVY MATERIAL EXPENDITURE IN SICILY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, September 16. In assailing the American public’s “foolish, childish and criminal overoptimism,” the, Secretary of the Treasury, Mr Morgenthau, in a broadcast, disclosed that the conquest of Sicily cost the Allies material losses up to 54 per cent., including 13 per cent, of all howitzers, 8 per cent, of all medium tanks, and 13 per cent, of all guns, in addition to a vast amount of secondary material, such as 1100 miles of copper wire. Mr Morgenthau concluded: “Whenever we decide the war is won we sign a death warrant for another , 5000 ( American soldiers and sailors.” SOVIET CRITICISM ALLIED FAILURE TO OCCUPY GENOA. LONDON, September 15. The failure of the Allies to occupy Genoa simultaneously with the landings near Naples is criticised by the Red Army newspaper “Red Star.” It says that the failure to seize Genoa will enable the German High Command more easily to carry out its defence plan for Italy It adds: “The German forces in southern Italy is inconsiderable; there are probably not more than two or three divisions in the Naples area. But there are no Allied troops in northern Italy, because the Germans took advantage of the Allies’ failure and themselves occupied Genoa, which controls the road to the north. Hitler says that Germany had offered extensive help to Italy but that it was rejected. The whole world knows that the facts are precisely contrary: Germany was unable to help Italy because German reserves were pinned down on the Russian front.”