Evening star., 1942-04-24
Vast Second Front
In Europe Is Urged
By Lord Beaverbrook
Russio Moy Settle War
For Allies in 1912,
British offieiol Soys
Fy the Associated Press.

p the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. April 24.-Crea-
ton by Great Britain OF a vast
second front against Germany
in Western Europe while Russia
still holds the Nazis In the east,
Is urged by Lord Beaverbrook In
the belief Russia "may settle the
war for us in 1912"
The British lease-lend co-ordina-
tor in Washington declared last
night that "by holding the Germans
in check, possibly even BY defeat
mig them, the Russians may be the
means Of bringing the whole Axis
structure down"
Addressing the American News
paper Publishers Associations Bu-
reau of Advertising at its annual
dinner. Lord Beaverbrook. himself
publisher of the London Daily Ex-
press and the Evening Standard,
said of the proposed great British
offensive:
This is chance, an opportunity
to bring the war to an end here
and now. But If the Russians are
defeated and driven out of the war,
never will such a chance come to
us again.
Backs Russian Theory.
Strike out to help Russia. Strike
out violently. Strike even recklessly
but in any event such blows that
real help will be our share and
contribution to the Russian battle
'front.'"
Expressing belief in the Russian
theory that the best form of de-
fense is attack, he called on Brit
ain to adopt 1t by setting UP some
where along the 1000 miles OF
coastline now held by the Germans
second front in Western Europe
Lord Beaverbrook spoke from the
same platform as Francis B, Sayre
United States high commissioner to
the Philippines: Admiral Ernest j
King. commander in chief of the
United States Fleet, and others at
the Waldorf Astoria Hotel dinner
closing the A. N. p. AS 56th an
nual convention.
In blunt and frank detail. the
British publisher disclosed for the
first time just how close his home
land was to disaster in the early
stages of the war before the United
States gave both barrels to its war
effort against the Axis.
Lost All Weapons.
"It was Just two years ago. he
said, that we lost everything we
possessed, save only our soldiers. We
had to begin all over again. Nothing
left to use but q portion of our army
All the weapons gone The cupboard
bare. Not even q rife.
Gums we lost in thousands,
vehicles by the $4,000. Almost all
our tanks and many airplanes.
But the biggest disaster was our
naval losses. Forty ty-seven warships
were sunk in the operations of
Norway and Dunkerque. And when
the evacuation. was over. half oul
destroyer feet lay awaiting repairs
in our shipyards.
Hardly had we emerged from this
peril when we were called upon to
fight the battle of Britain. And ]
must tell you that when that strug-
gle began we had in reserve only
five fighter aircraft in the storage
units"
Lord Beaverbrook apparently left
nothing out in portraying the gloomy
picture of England and its chances
at several periods of the war, for
he continued:
I'VE were defeated in Greece
Crete was weary burden and cost
us many valuable warships and
transports. too. Other events fol-
lowed swiftly, and before the year
was out the British Army had fought
major engagements on seven sepa-
rate fronts In the Middle East -
Caught Unawares by Japs.
Two big years for Britain, 1910
and 1941, he went on, showed that
"the German plan of campaign was
destroyed" Hard fighting, brave
deeds and vast powers Of endur-
ance," he said, was the record of
the British Army in two years of
battle.
Then came the Japs. They
! A Afe