Evening star., 1943-06-08

fitted into their proper place in re-
lation to the general war.
I am very sorry that we have not
yet been able to bring into counsel
Marshal Stain or other representa-
tives of our great ally, Russia, which
Is bearing the heaviest burden and
paying by far the highest price in
blood and life.
But I can assure the House that
taking some Of the weight OF Russia
and giving more speedy and effec-
tive aid to China and giving a
stronger measure of security to our
beloved Australia and New Zealand
these are never absent for one
moment from our thoughts and
aims.
Anti Submarine War
Most Vital to Britain.
This war is SO universal and
worldwide 1t would take several
hours to make an exposition of what
Is happening In various theaters.
Each of the Allies naturally sees
these theaters from a different an
gle and in somewhat different
relation. We British must continue
to place the anti-U-boat war first
because 1t Is only by conquering the
U-boats that we can live and act.
The might of America is deployed
far over the Pacific and is laying an
ever stronger grip on the outlying
defenses of Japan and offering every
moment to the Japanese fleet the
supreme challenge of sea power.
Russian armies, as I mentioned
to the Congress the other day, are
In deadly grapple with what we
estimate to be 100 German and %
satellite divisions along their 1000
miles of front. 1t is here that the
greatest battles seem to impend.
Then there is the war in the air.
The steady wearing down of Ger
man and Japanese air forces is pro-
ceeding remorselessly The enemy
who thought that air would be their
weapon of victory are now finding
In 1t the first cause of their ruin.
1t Is necessary for me to make it
plain that so far as the British
government and the governments of
the dominions and also the Govern
ment of the United States and of
the Russian Soviet Republic are
concerned nothing will turn us from
our endeavor and intention to ac-
compliSh the complete destruction
OF our foes by bombing from the air
in addition to all other methods.
Loud and lamentable outcries are
being made by the enemy now that
this form of warfare by which they
thought to obtain the mastery of
the world has turned markedly to
their disadvantage.
These outcries will only be re-
garded by us as very satisfactory
proof OF the growing efficiency of
our attack.
Compared with this time last year,
we British alone can now drop
more than double the weight of
bombs at the l,500-mile range there
and back.
May Best Month in Drive
Against Submarines.
In the summer of last year as
Minister of Defense I set on foot
a policy of increasing our bomber
eHort Which, of course, entails GER
tain sacrifices in other directions.
All that is now coming into hand.
AT the same time we took the
measures which have thrown the
very long-range air power-V. L. r..
as it is called-effectively into the
antl-U-boat struggle. All this is
now being brought to bear.
Inc month of May has, from everv
point OF view. been the best month
we have ever had in the anti-U-boat
war since the United States was at
tackled by Japan, Germany and
Italy. At that time we gained much
greater combined resources, but we
exposed much larger targets. We
made at that time budget of sink
lngs and buildings on which we
knew we could survive indefinitely
Slnkings have been greatly less
than we apprehended and buildings
nave more than made good the
prodlglous programs undertaken bv
the American Nation.
This month of May has been one
OF the very best for imports car
rled safely into this island since
the end OF l941. Our combined new
buildings has exceeded our losses
by more than three to one.
This first week in June could not
possibly be taken as a criterion but
as a matter of fact it Is the hest
ever Tor many, many months past
Ourlng the last few months the
enemy has made very heavy attacks
on our conveys.
This has given us the opportunitv
70 hit him hard in open battle
Ihere are SO many U-boats en-
pioyed now that it is almost inn
possible not to run into one or an
other of these great fields or screens
Oh O-ooats which are spread out.
therefore you have to fight yo,,r
way through but there is no reason
why we should regret that. On the
contrary 1t Is around conveys that
o-ooats can best be destroyed.
new weapons and new methods
ana close coordination OF effort be-
tween surface and air escorts have
enabled us to infiict casualties which
nave surpassed all previous records
Looks for Summer
Favorable to Allies.
The first lord OF the admiralty
made a statement of very reassur-
ing character upon this subject the
other day. and I can only repeat +
that in May for the first time our
Killings OF U-boats substantially out
numbered the U-boat output. That
may be a fateful milestone. The
Germans seem to be stalking their
hopes upon the U-boat war. We
may Judge by appeals made to them
Iney are encouraged to bear the
evns-the terror. as they call it
perhaps not an i'll chosen word-of
the air bombardment by the homes
that on the sea the U-boats are
taking their revenge.
II it should be made clear that
this hope has failed them they NAV
be seriously disappointed and thev