Strong on Strength

Last week the people in the U. S. had their first public report on the status of the Battle of Britain from a U. S. expert who had the best possible chance of knowing. Brigadier General George V. Strong flew home from London, via Lisbon, after a month in Britain with a U. S. Army observation commission. The U. S. Army has always shown considerable respect for German power and generalship, but General Strong was optimistic about Britain's chances. He said that in Britain there had been "as yet no serious military damage"; that British claims of German casualties were "absolutely correct"--an inference that German air reports are faked (TIME, Aug. 19); that there would probably be no decision this winter. In the R. A. F. he noted "no sign of letdown or fatigue."

Glad to hear such news, the U. S. press made General Strong's optimism look very rosy--so much so that the General next day had to modify some of his broader statements. He intimated that although the British did not exaggerate German air losses they were not completely frank about their own casualties, but he stuck to his main point that the British were not seriously hurt.

The General certainly believed what he said so far as it went, but Britain was undoubtedly under serious strain, with Londoners growing impatient under air bombing, and the growing danger of epidemics as multitudes live in air-raid shelters (see P. 22).

Moreover Britain is not, as press reports sometimes seem to assume, just London. Other parts of Britain have suffered also. But the General did not talk about other parts of Britain.

Last week there were raids on ports (Dover, Portland, Southampton, Glasgow, Billingham, Newcastle), on Lancashire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Berkshire, Sussex, Surrey and the industrial Midlands--places which have been bombed since early August. Last week's raids on these spots were apparently not the worst of the war but no U. S. observers were present to tell how little or how much damage had been done. The British would not admit it, but there were probably serious hitches in armament production. One aircraft factory was hit badly enough to lose perhaps a sixth of its production. This week Minister for Aircraft Production Lord Beaverbrook warned workers that they must not seek shelter during raids until danger is imminent.

Despite General Strong there was no reason for looking on Britain's prospects as rosy. Invasion was still possible. But it was also possible that the attempt would be put off, and that the Axis, concentrating on the Southern Theatre, would drag the bombing of Britain into a cruel winter siege while picking the Empire to pieces.

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