RUSSIA'S ORDEAL
THE war in Russia has reached a phase critical in two senses. The danger that the Germans may cut Russia off from half her food and four-fifths of her oil is imminent, and such a threat is, of course, grave in the last degree. But the latest messages coming in as we go to press suggest that Marshal Timoshenko is beginning to throw in the reserves that he has so carefully hus- banded and that the German advance on Stalingrad has been slowed down by the stiffening resistance. This may mean much or little. Nothing is more difficult for a commander than to decide just when the weight of his reserves will tell most. The longer he can hold them back, so that they may strike when the enemy is getting exhausted by his own efforts, the more probable that their intervention will be decisive. Marshal Timoshenko has obviously taken great risks in waiting so long, but his judgement may yet be vindicated. But the need for any activity elsewhere calculated to divert German divisions or air-strength from the Russian front is urgent. It is unfortunate that this week's limited offensive by General Auchinleck led to little or nothing. With Rommel diligently digging in, another period of static warfare on the Alamein front seems likely, though it is to the interest of either side to strike before the other acquires more reinforcements. The possibilities of a second front in Europe are discussed in a leading article on a later page.
The Air-War on Germany
It was just the right kind of message to Germany that was broad- cast on Tuesday by Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, Com- mander-in-Chief of Bomber Command. It told the people of Ger- many in -stern, simple terms what our bombing policy is: to use our swiftly mounting superiority in the air to bomb Germany remorselessly, city by city, day and night, ever more terribly, to make it impossible for them to go on with the war. He reminded them of what Germans did to British towns, and what we have done to Liibeck, Rostock, Cologne, Emden, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Duisburg, and (twice this week) to Hamburg—a list which will grow longer and longer. He told theni that we aim at factories, shipyards and railways, but that in doing so we inevitably hit civilians, just as the Germans did when they struck at Coventry, or when they torpedo merchant ships. He told them that they have no chance: they cannot invade England, they cannot avoid the bombs, their country will be "scourged from end to end" unless, disbelieving the lie that we plan a peace of revenge, they
overthrow the Nazis and make peace. This is a proper warning to Germans. It is proper, that is, on one condition, that our bombers do all that Sir Arthur Harris promises, and no less. The deeds are necessary to give point to the words. Raids in all their intensity must follow in quick succession to prevent repair of damage and shatter morale. They must not be confined to western and north-western Germany, but must penetrate deeply into central and eastern Germany, as will be increasingly possible as the nights get longer and our long-range bombers increase in number. It must be remembered that the Germans have been transferring much of their machinery and war industry eastwards, as the Russians did. These must be sought out in their new localities, and the terror of the bomber must be spread over the whole of Germany. Nothing less than this will suffice.
Movement in India
With the approach of the date—August 7th—of the meeting of the All-India Committee of the Congress Party, at which the non- co-operation and civil disobedience movement which the Party's Working Committee has approved is to be endorsed, the prospect of a split in the party increases. Such a step as is proposed obvi- ously causes grave misgivings, in view of India's strategic danger, and one possibility is the postponement of a decision till a new All-India Committee is elected in October. Another is a change of policy arising from conversations which Mr. Rajagopalachari, the Madras leader, who is working for a Hindu-Moslem understanding, has bees having with Mr. Gandhi ; but it would be unwise to hope for much from this. A still wider understanding is urged by the Liberal leader, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, who urges that the Congress Party, Hindu Mahasaba and Moslem leaders and others should call a conference to discuss a settlement for the war-period and the setting up of machinery for forming a permanent constitution. At the same time he suggests that the British Government should unequivocally promise India the fullest measure of self-government within a year after the war ends. The difficulty about that is that India can only have full self-government when Indians themselves have composed their differences and agreed on a constitution. That may well be within a year after the end of the war, but Britain cannot determine their action. Generally speaking, in spite of an attack on Sir Stafford Cripps by Mr. Nehru, moderation and political wisdom seem to be making progress in India. The Defence of Peace It is a source of great satisfaction to all who look forward to a period of close co-operation between Britain and the United States after the war that public men in both countries are speaking in almost identical terms about the future settlement. There is still much to be filled in with respect to the detail of the picture. but the outline as drawn on both sides of the Atlantic is the same. It happened that Mr. Cordell Hull and Mr. Anthony Eden both spoke on the same day last week Both insisted on the need of pursuing the war till complete victory has been won, and equally on the necessity that their respective countries should accept the responsibility for avoiding a recurrence of aggression and for plan- ning a more ordered world. Mr. Cordell Hull spoke of the need for an international agency to keep the peace (" by force if neces- sary ") an effective international court of justice, and co-operation to avoid excessive trade barriers, to facilitate currency exchanges, and to promote higher standards of living. Mr. Eden spoke specific- ally of the steps that are being taken already to feed the starving nations as and when they are released from enemy control, and the steps that will be taken in co-operation with our allies to restart the industries of undeveloped countries, and to give them a chance for new development without any loss of economic in- dependence. He too, expressed his belief in a planned world-policy which would aim at the abolition of extreme poverty and chronic unemployment. It is along these lines that this country hopes to work, not alone, but with the United States, with Russia and China, and with such other countries as will join us.
Home Food-Production
It is encouraging that, at a time when we have every reason to be anxious abobt the shipping situation and our capacity for keeping up imports, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Hudson) should be able to give so good an account of food-production at home. In justice to the Minister, the farmers and the Agricultural Com- mittees, it should be recognised that the results have been good beyond expectation. It is really a great achievement that the industry of agriculture, so neglected up to three years ago, should now be producing more than two-thirds of the food consumed in this country. The land under cultivation has increased from iz,000,000 to 18,000,000 acres, and Mr. Hudson thinks that another half million acres, or a little more, may be brought under the plough. That may very well be the maximum that it is desirable to plough up, and to do so much will involve a heavy call on labour. For any further increase in production from arable land we must look to more scientific methods of cultivation, and the Minister explained the steps that are being taken not only to extend research, but to get the modern knowledge into the farmer's mind and persuade him to use it. It may be claimed as a fault on the right side that too many potatoes have been grown this year ; it would have been worse if there had been a shortage, and it would be a mistake if in trying to correct the excess we grew too few next year. Milk-production has been a weak point, arising from Govern- ment policy earlier in the war, but there has been improvement, and it is to be hoped that Mr. Hudson will succeed in pressing for a further increase in production. The fact that the Ministers of Agriculture and Food have worked so closely together has been a factor of the greatest importance in maintaining the food supplies and the good health of the nation.
Americans in Britain
American soldiers have now arrived in this country in consider- able numbers, and thousands snore will be coming at frequent intervals to swell the host of allies who are serving side by side with our own men. It is most important that the opportunity should not be missed of creating friendly personal contacts between our own people and our visitors. It must be remembered that in many respects American ways are not ours, and British ways are not theirs. We shall not have the happy relationship that there should be unless deliberate efforts are made to promote under- standing. The onus to a large extent rests on us—civilians and service-men alike. The Americans shou'd be regarded not only as
allies, but as guests, and we ought to cultivate in ourselves the attitude of good hosts. It would be nothing less than a disaster if these thousands or tens of thousands of Americans went away after the war having failed to conquer our reserve or to mix with our soldiers and civilians on really friendly terms. The future of our relationship with the United States depends in considerable measure on the degree in which we now make friends of these representative men. It is satisfactory that the Army Bureau of Current Affairs has been devoting itself to explaining America and Americans to British troops. Commanding officers should be instructed to impress on the men the need of cultivating a friendly bearing to our allies. Much may be done also by organised hos- pitality, though organised hospitality is not enough. There cannot be too much propaganda to secure the help of the whole popula- 'lion in offering hospitality and friendship to Americans, and, indeed, to all allied soldiers who are now serving in this country. Inter- national goodwill may now begin at home.
Excess Profits and Excess Costs
A report issued by the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons shows how important it is to keep a more effective check on contracts made by the Ministry of Supply, the Air Ministry, the Ministry of Aircraft Production and the Admiralty with firms engaged on war work. Too often the argument has been accepted that the operation of Excess Profits Tax, which restores all but permitted profits to the Treasury, makes a close scrutiny of costs unnecessary. Such an argument at once falls to the ground when it is recalled that 20 per cent. of the Excess Profits Tax is to be refunded after the war. But that is not the only, or even the main, objection to the absence of close control over costs of work. The " cost plus " contract is one which should always be avoided wherever it is possible, for it offers no incentive whatever to keep down expenditure, but the reverse, since the allowed profits increase in proportion to the expenditure. Thus extravagance. and waste are sure to arise ; there is no incentive to make the most economical use of plant and labour ; and there are opportunities for allowing excessive profits to sub-contractors. In fact the method is, on the face of it, so contrary to public interest that it is amazing that the supply departments should have allowed its adoption so often and so long. In the case of one important firm it is pointed out that large sums which greatly exceed any reasonable remuneration are in the hands of the com- pany. Attempts to resist inquiry into costs ought not to be tolerated. At a time when the whole man-power of the country is at the disposal of the Government its powers of compulsion must be applied with equal firmness to concerns working for profit.
The World's Mineral Resources
A great deal of study and fact-finding will be needed to explore the measures necessary to carry out the Fourth Article of the Atlantic Charter, which postulates "access for all States on equal terms to the raw materials of the world." The two-day conference which was arranged by the British Association last week was concerned with one important part of the world's raw materials— namely, mineral resources. These differ from other raw materials in that they cannot be produced at will by cultivation, but are in fixed regions, from which alone the scarcer minerals can be obtained. The vast extent to which this war depends on access to oil is a commonplace. The need for iron-ore was one of the reasons which led Germany to invade Norway. Sir Thomas Holland suggested that it was not so much shortage of oil as lack of manganese which induced Germany to invade Russia, the world's chief pro- ducer of this indispensable mineral. This, too, lies north of the Caucasus, the enemy's near objective. No general conclusion can be arrived at for the satisfactory us° and distribution of the world's minerals without much more exact data than has at present been collected. Sir Harold Hartley urged that the first task of scientists in relation to the use of resources was that of fact-finding. The time has not yet come for the definition of war-aims in detail ; but it certainly has come for the collection of all available facts, without which no programme can be carried out.
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