31 JULY 1941, Page 1

Mr. Hopkins's Assurances

Mr. Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt's personal envoy, who is now in consultation with the Russian Government in Moscow, had a cheering message for British listeners last Sun- day. He evidently understands that they are more pleased to hear of what America has accomplished and will accomplish than of what she hopes to have done twelve months hence. He made the crossing in a bomber, and was able to announce that thou- sands of aeroplanes made in America have already been flown or shipped to this country ; that United States destroyers are now patrolling the Atlantic to guard the "world's life-line"; that several hundred tanks have been delivered in various parts of the Empire ; that ships for Britain are in large-scale produc- tion. As controller of the Lease-Lend programme he knows exactly what is being and what can be done, and in his broadcast, speaking of the apparent slowness in the earlier stages of output, he alluded to the fact, which is surely appreciated in this country, that- it takes time to get factories geared to war production._ But now at last the ships, the planes, the tanks, the tools are coming over and it will not be long before Germany will be hopelessly outstripped in competition with the united industrial efforts of Britain, America and Russia.