Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-10-26
Criticism Mounting,
Eden and Alexander
Defend War Effort
Confidence of Public
Urged in Addresses
By Cabinet Members
Nv the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON. Oct. 25.-Mounting dis
satisfaction with the failure of the
Churchill government to establish
a diversion front in the West and
with other efforts to assist Russia
brought concerted pleas for public
confidence from two high cabinet
spokesmen today.
The most personable member Of
the British cabinet, Foreign Secre-
tary Anthony Eden, and A. V. Alex
ander. first lord of the admiralty,
took the governments case directly
to the public in addresses at Man.
chester and Kettering, while Prime
Minister Churchill himself lent
some weight to his government S
counter-a attack by joining President
Roosevelt in a denunciation of Nazi
reprisal executions in German-oc-
cupied territories.
Mr.. Eden, who is said to have
more friends and fewer enemies
than any one else In the govern
ment, took advantage of a Man
chester mass meeting to defend the
policy of prosecuting the war as a
"long term business without at
tempting any sudden, brilliant i'm
provisation
Will Not Be Deferred, Eden Says.
He said he could not say when
Britain would strike or even that
we will strike and added
The government. indeed, have
but one purpose, which is yours
and Stains, too-how best to &C
complish Hitler's defeat. We will
not be deferred from that task for
one instant, even for the luxury OF
answering our critics
Mr.. Alexander. first lord of the
Admiralty, disclosed that Britain
had sent some naval equipment
to Russia but would not say what
with our detenses in the Medi-
terranean. the battle of the Allan
tic and maintaining of common
wealth communications. we still
have to find ships to escort Russian
conveys" Mr.. Alexander said.
Mr.. Eden's insistence that the
Churchill Cabinet merited the
measure of your confidence" and
the assertion that he never ex-
pected to live to hear the suggestion
that our own Prime Minister was
backward in action" followed week
in which criticisms have been many
and varied.
Overhauling Held Needed.
The conservative Times OF Lon
don, which has urged stronger aid
for Russia and suggested several
times that Mr.. Churchill should
delegate more of his duties to capa-
bic assistants. struck the keynote of
production discussion with the edi-
torial assertion:
The whole business of production
will have to be most thoroughly
overhauled. If the best is to be got
out of industry the most must be
got out of the machines: skill must
be used with the utmost economy
and there must be full employment
of women and an abrogation of
middle-age limits, fitness being the
only requirement" :
The leftist New Statesman and
Nation said acidly that among Brit
ish officials throughout the Ger
man-RusSian war the tendency
seemed to be to regard the Russian
war as an heroic sideshow. Not
crucial for the result of the war
but to be maintained as long as
possible
The publication said Labor Min
lister Ernest Bevin. who has said
Britains situation was desperate
and that 80 to 40 per cent in
crease in factory output was neces-
sary, had long had Just these con-
siderations" urged on him while 'he
was asserting things were going we'll
enough"
Mr.. Bevin is just one of the cabi-
net members who have been draw
ing criticism.
Says Something Is Wrong.
An assertion by Emanuel Shin
well. Laborite member of Parlia-
ment, that something is sadly
wrong with the government team
typifed the attitude of a growing
number of members of Parliament
including William GALLAGHER. its
only Communist member: Laborite
Aneurin Revan and Conservative
Arnold B. Gridley.
The best lobby opinion was that
no cabinet changes were imminent,
but Mr.. Churchill is known to have
been sounding opinion and might
make changes if opinion continues
strongly against his present group
Little criticism has been directed
at Mr.. Churchill himself. The most
frequent targets have been Lord
Halifax. Ambassador to Washing
ton: Sir Kingsley Wood. chancellor
of the exchequer; Capt. Henry Mar
eeson, war secretary, and Sir John
Anderson, lord president of the
council, all leftovers from the
Chamberlain cabinet. Phrases like
men of Munich the "sit-down
war" and time is on our side have
IuIlR III CIlIlClSIil VI tiicHi.
Aircraft Production Minister j
T. C. Moore Brabe.zon has been
sharply accused of anti-Soviet con-
victions and Colonial Secretary
Lord Moyne has been attacked for
his recent House of Lords statement
that a British continental invasion
would amount to committing suicide
on Hitlers doorstep.
Seek to Make Up Supplies.
Mr.. Eden said Lord Beaverbrook
speaking earlier this week IN the
House of Lords, had told all possible
of the progress of supplying Russia
without giving information to the
enemy"
Broadly speaking Mr.. Eden as
serted, our purpose Is to seek with
American help to make up to Russia
by our supplies what she has losl
through German occupation OF part
of her industrial territory"
He expressed confidence that Brlt-
ain would overcome the "formid'
able" production, shipping and geo.
graphical problems involved IN &C
complishing that purpose.
The government. he said, "woulo
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