The Grand Alliance (140 page)

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New 1942 programme represents increase on
programme for 1942, which has been fixed after United
States entry into the war as follows:
Operational aircraft

31,250

Tanks

29,550

Anti-aircraft guns

8,900

Anti-tank guns

11,700

Ground

and

tank

238,000

machine guns

Directives have been issued to all the departments
concerned [Presidential]. Message to Congress this
week will give abridged account of programme. Budget
will contain necessary financial provisions.

Max has been magnificent and Hopkins a Godsend.

Hope you will be pleased with immense resultant
increase in programme.

These remarkable figures were achieved or surpassed by the end of 1943. In shipping for example the new tonnage built in the United States was as follows: 1942 5,339,000 tons

1943 12,384,000 tons

Continued concentration of mind upon the war as a whole, my constant discussions with the President and his The Grand Alliance

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principal advisers and with my own, my two speeches and my journey to Canada, together with the heavy flow of urgent business requiring decision and all the telegrams interchanged with my colleagues at home, made this period in Washington not only intense and laborious but even exhausting. My American friends thought I was looking tired and ought to have a rest. Accordingly Mr. Stettinius very kindly placed his small villa in a seaside solitude near Palm Beach at my disposal, and on January 6 I flew down there.

The night before I started, the air-conditioning of my room in the White House failed temporarily, the heat became oppressive, and in trying to open the window I strained my heart slightly, causing unpleasant sensations which continued for some days. Sir Charles Wilson, my medical adviser, however decided that the journey South should not be put off. General Marshall came with us in the plane all the way, and I had some very good talks with him. Five days we passed in the Stettinius villa, lying about in the shade or the sun, bathing in the pleasant waves, in spite of the appearance on one occasion of quite a large shark.

They said it was only a “ground shark”; but I was not wholly reassured. It is as bad to be eaten by a ground shark as by any other. So I stayed in the shallows from then on.

My movements were kept strictly secret, and a notification was given from the White House to the press that all movements by the President or by me were to be regarded as if they were the movements of American battleships.

Consequently no word ever appeared. On the other hand, numbers of people greeted me in Florida, and many pressmen and photographers, with whom I had pleasant interchanges, waited outside the entrance to our retreat; but not a trickle ever leaked into print.

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Prime Minister to Lord

5 Jan. 42

Privy Seal

I am going South for a few days, hoping to remain in
complete privacy, and President will go to Hyde Park.

Meanwhile the Staffs are working hard, and on our
return we shall deal with results. There are many
difficulties to be overcome in making offensive plans,
but we must persevere. The big movement of United
States troops into Ireland is all arranged at this end.

You must make sure that everything is getting prepared
on our side. Please see that a fine job is done over this,
and their special food, etc., studied.

2. I suppose you realise we are trying not only to
meet the immediate needs, but to make a plan for the
effective application of the American armies to the
enemy’s fronts wherever possible. Shipping is the
limiting factor.

3. I shall be glad to have everything necessary sent
forward, as I shall be in constant telegraphic touch.

They are trying here to keep my whereabouts secret. It
would be well to discourage speculation in our press
about my return or movements.

Prime Minister to Lord

7 Jan. 42

Privy Seal

Am resting in the South on Charles Wilson’s
2

advice for a few days after rather a strenuous time.

President is stopping all mention in the United States
press. Please make sure no notice is issued in
England, otherwise American press will be vexed, and I
shall be overrun with them and tourists.

While I was reclining in the mellow sunlight of Palm Beach and dictating all these telegrams and memoranda, the news reached me of the Italian “human-torpedo” attack in

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Alexandria Harbour which had disabled the
Queen
Elizabeth
and
Valiant.
This has already been described in an earlier chapter. This misfortune, following upon all our other naval losses at this time, was most untimely and disturbing. I saw its gravity at once. The Mediterranean battle fleet was for the time being non-existent, and our naval power to guard Egypt from direct overseas invasion in abeyance. It seemed necessary in the emergency to send whatever torpedo planes could be gathered from the south coast of England. This had, as will presently be seen, an unpleasant sequel.

Prime

Minister

to

7 Jan. 42

General Ismay, for C.

O.S. Committee, and

Secretary of State for

Air

In view of naval position Mediterranean it is evidently
urgent and important to send strong air reinforcements,
especially torpedo planes, from Coastal or Bomber
Command.

Proportionate

relaxation

of

bomber

offensive against Germany, etc., and shipping must be
accepted. General Arnold
3
tells me he is sending as
soon as possible two bomber groups, i.e., eighty
bombers, as well as some fighter squadrons for Ulster.

Pray tell me what you are doing and whether Admiral
Cunningham is comforted.

I was also concerned lest the Italian exploit should be repeated at Scapa Flow.

Prime Minister to First

9 Jan. 42

Sea Lord

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The incident at Alexandria, which was so unpleasant, has raised in my mind the question of the security
of Scapa Flow against this form of attack. Are we in fact
patrolling the entrances with depth-charges every
twenty minutes? No doubt the strong currents would
give far greater protection than the calm water of
Alexandria.

How does the matter stand?

It was above all things important that the true condition of our two great battleships, which rested upon even keels in Alexandria Harbour, should not become known to the enemy.

I now found time to deal with several difficult questions which pursued me. There was of course a recurrence, both by the Viceroy and the Cabinet, to the idea of making a new constitution for India under which the Congress Party would rally to the common cause and their own security. We shall see in a later volume that this was a vain illusion.

Prime Minister to Lord

7 Jan. 42

Privy Seal

I hope my colleagues will realise the danger of
raising constitutional issue, still more of making constitutional changes, in India at a moment when enemy is
upon the frontier. The idea that we should “get more
out of India” by putting the Congress in charge at this
juncture seems ill-founded. Yet that is what it would
come to if any electoral or parliamentary foundation is
chosen. Bringing hostile political elements into the
defence machine will paralyse action. Merely picking
and choosing friendly Indians will do no serious harm,
but will not in any way meet the political demands. The
Indian Liberals, though plausible, have never been able
to deliver the goods. The Indian troops are fighting
splendidly, but it must be remembered that their alle-