Mr, Winston Churchill's speech in the House of Commons exploded several fallacies which have become current in the United States and Great Britain, These fallacies had their origin chiefly in Parliament during debates upon different phases of Britain's war effort and their circulation may have done the British cause some harm, It is a principle of Democracy. however, that the critic, even if misinformed, may have his say; it is nevertheless to be deplored that misinformation among Members of Parliament, who have plenty of facilities for getting the facts, should have been re lo for what are now revealed as read misapprehensions, Warning equally against optimism and pessimism, Mr, Churchill painted an encouraging picture of ihe progress bein made in the British Isles, It can be that the necessity for the dispersal of the aircraft industry would hamper production, but as the Prime Minister remarked, "we may be retarded but we cab no longer be destroyed," That is the vital answer, Concentration of aircraft factories may make for speed, but it also makes destruction of the factories more simple for the enemy, The criticism that American planes had been received in Britain without the necessary ancillary parts and had been kept useless in their original crates was also effectively answered by Mr, Churchill, American planes ordered by Britain were always accompanied by the needed spare parts. but those taken over after the collapse of France, which had been ordered to French Specifications, were received without spare parts, and in addition needed considerable adaptation before they could be put to full use by the R.A, F, In the circumstances, therefore. it was natural that there should be some delay before these planes could be put into active service, Among important alterations which had io be made was replacing the guns on these planes with weapons which would take British ammunition, Mr, Churchill revealed that facilities for making these changes speedily had now been devised, and the planes were in use by the R.A.F, The Prime Minister also disposed of the report that the production offer: was only 75 per cent. by asking the question: 75 per cent, of what? He revealed that efter tactically eir lathes en id be Jo for a number of reasons, the most obvious of which is that a worker required to carry on in this fashion for weeks or months would rapidly deteriorate in efficiency and production would thus be slowed down instead of speeded up. The British Empire does not expect any other country to win this war for it as the deeds of the last year have amply proved, There is no false reliance upon American production, though appreciation of the importance of that reduction and of the goodwill which goes behind it has never slackened, There is no belief that the Russians will save Britain the trouble of fighting, by smashing Hitler before the British army can again come to grips with him, There is, however, full realization of the fact that the British war machine must be geared to a speed which will enable it to carry on. steadily increasing in efficiency, for "the duration," This war will not be won by any miracle, but by the application of constantly increasing pressure on the enemy, on the sea. in the air, and finally on the land. No policy of fits and starts can achieve this pressure; it can only be applied by the planned action of the people's trusted leaders, backed by the firm determination of everyone to stop at no sacrifice. 1o finch at no horrors, until the day of victory lawns,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.