NEWS OF THE WEEK HE declared policy of using our
ever-increasing strength in the air for persistent heavy bombing of Germany's war factories, p-building yards, transport and military stores has been carried t during the last week in shattering raids. The ports of Lubeck Rostock, vital for the supplies of the German armies in Russia, Inland and Norway, have suffered devastating blows from high losive and incendiary bombs, and submarine-building yards and einkel aircraft factories have been destroyed. Cologne, with its t chemical works, and the naval base. of Trondhjem, harbouring any's most powerful warships, have felt the weight of heavy lulls. Blows have been dealt elsewhere on enemy shipping and erman-occupied ports, and in daylight sweeps over France air- Ids and railway junctions have been severely bombed. At the esent time we undoubtedly have air-ascendancy in the west, and e German fighter force is unequal to the task of checking our raids,-still less inflicting blows on the assailants in any Way comparable with those which their bombers suffered -during e Battle of Britain. The Germans have resorted to a deliberate policy of reprisals. Forced to husband their resources in bombers, ey have not ventured to resume the policy of attacking strongly- defended industrial centres, but have been directing their assaults DO" the little places of interest "—Bath, Norwich, York and Exeter— Comparatively small but easily found targets. Such a policy, gratify- ing only the instinct of revenge, is an admission of weakness. It Will not, as Sir Archibald Sinclair said on Wednesday, have any effect on British policy. That is to destroy the enemy's strength at the source and damage his communications, hitting him both in Germany and in the countries he occupies. In thus compelling him to keep a considerable air-force in the west, we render substantial he!p to our Russian ally.
