While much is not heard of Italian feats of arms these days, it must not be assumed that the Italian. propaganda, machine' is in eny way much behind Goebbels' ent in the issuance of falsehood, recent example is the'engagement between Ttalian tornado-carrying aeroplanes. and the British Mediterranean fleet conducting a convoy throveh the central Mediterranean. The Italian fleet is said to have been somewhere in the vicinity but, with that discretion which hes marked its conduct since the British Navy gave it several somewhat severe manlings, it very wisely kept out of the way. After the encounter the Italians claimed that their machines had succeeded in sinking two heavy, and one light, cruisers. and to have damaged a battleship. The British Admiralty admit that ELMS. Nelson was struck by a torpedo and her speed slightly reduced, while one merchant vessel in the convoy was sunk. The Italians claim that the convoy was forced to turn back to the base from which it started; the British report its arrival at its destination. planes." There is a vast difference slight damage on a battleship to fulü! her task of assisting in the veinable convoy reached ich dit was sent in safety. The the "Waning of Prisoners" in a' hi reveal their.
oon do they were right military "genin: present has been secured by a callous regard of life such as has never been witnessed in the world before. 3
But why do the Italians and the Germans make such claims? It will be noted that no reports of popular rejoicings over the fall of Smolensk and Kiev have come to hand.
The Germans have nothing to rejoice about, and these fantastic claims are obviously designed to allay that discontent. which neutrals report is being felt over the prospect of a third winter at war. was necessary to win an engagement at sea to offset the psychological effect of the recent bombing of Italian cities, and the growing realization of the completeness- with which Italy has been taken over by the Germans. that if the enemy Governments are unable to produce actual successes the © propaganda artists have to make a few on paper. The impression to be gained is that the propaganda organizations are engaged in the cheerful habit of whistling in the growing darkness in order to keep the courage of their people The Shipping War The Prime Minister made a brief but encouraging reference to the decline in losses. of British and Allied shipping during the last three months and to the increase in the losses suffered by the Axis partners. Allied losses during the last quarter were one third of those of the previous quarter, while for the same period, the Axis losses had trebled. The last estimate of Axis losses to reach Shanghai was towards the end of August It was then reported that during the five weeks preceding 416,000 tons of enemy shipping had been destroyed—a very re-, markable total when the number of ships available to the Axis is compared with the number available to the Allies, Since then there have been almost daily reports of further sinkings of Axis ships, sometimes in the Mediterranean, sometimes in the North Sea or off the coast of Norway, where there has been considerable
aged in the war in Russia. Every Axis ship movement of supplies for the Nazi troops of sunk is a heavier blow to Hitler's cause than the loss of an Allied ship is to the Allies. since the facilities for replacement in the Axis countries cannot compare with those in Britain and the United States. In the latter country espe-daly there will soon be an output of vessels such as the world has never seen before, an output which will play a most important role in securing the final victory. In a recent talk over the B.B.C. a speaker emphasized the importance of shipping in this war. He made the point that in wartime sea powers such as the Allies and the United States need many more ships than they do in peacetime. It is not simply a question of keeping the total tonnage sunk or rendered usselss by enemy action, it-the same by replacing ships which have been
merchant fleets must be expanded so wi not is something much more than that. Tie iliac only to carry the normal quantities of supplies across the oceans to where they are most needed, but also to carry out duties which are abnormal. Large numbers of ships, for example, have to be taken off the usual commercial runs and made into army and navy transports and supply ships. Tankers which would in the ordinary course be carrying oil to Britain or parts of the Empire have to be used exclusively on behalf of the fleet, which at times is forced to keep them at sea for considerable periods while awaiting a chance to refuel. Other Ships have been turned into merchant cruisers, protecting trade routes ^r patrolling seas through which enemy vessels might slip in Order to harass convoys. The fact that the Empire and the Allies are maintaining an army in the Middle East of well over three-quarters of a million men in itself calls for an enormous amount of shipping. These men have to be kept supplied with arms, munitions, tanks, planes, plane parts, food, clothing, and all the thousand and one things which are called for in modern warfare. All these demands prove a severe strain on the ordinary peacetime shipping capacity of even the greatest maritime nations, and when this strain is increased by steady losses inflicted by the enemy, it can be seen that a serious situation might easily result. The B.B.C. speaker concluded that shipping might be described as one of the most vital munitions of war, and when the possibility of a growing armaments industry being made idle by lack of bottoms to carry the needed materials is considered, it is easy to agree with him. The long-term pians of the Allies and the United States have never lost sight of the importance of ships and yet more ships. In a few months the United States will be launching one new ship a day, with a prospect of their ship-building industry being still further speeded up in the future. All these ships will come in useful. When the Allies can rely upon such a constant supply of vessels, then will be the time to talk seriously of taking the offensive on the Continent.. And the time may not be so far distant as many people suppose.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.