On the safe return of the Prime Minister to England, the
following statement has been issued simultaneously in London and in
Washington:
"The week of conferences between the President and
the Prime Minister covered very fully all of the major problems of the
war which is conducted by the United Nations on every continent and
in every sea.
"We have taken full cognizance of our disadvantages
as well as our advantages. We do not underrate the task.
"We have conducted our conferences with the full
knowledge of the power and resourcefulness of our enemies.
"In the matter of the production of munitions of
all kinds, the survey gives on the whole an optimistic picture. The
previously planned monthly output has not reached the maximum but is
fast approaching it on schedule.
"Because of the wide extension of the war to all
parts of the world, transportation of the fighting forces, together
with the transportation of munitions of war and supplies still constitutes
the major problem of the United Nations.
"While submarine warfare on the part of the Axis
continues to take heavy toll of cargo ships, the actual production of
new tonnage is greatly increasing month by month. It is hoped that as
a result of the steps planned at this conference the respective navies
will further reduce the toll of merchant shipping.
"The United Nations have never been in such hearty
and detailed agreement on plans for winning the war as they are today.
"We recognize and applaud the Russian resistance
to the main attack being made by Germany and we rejoice in the magnificent
resistance of the Chinese Army. Detailed discussions were held with
our military advisers on methods to be adopted against Japan and the
relief of China.
"While exact plans, for obvious reasons, cannot be
disclosed, it can be said that the coming operations which were discussed
in detail at our Washington conferences, between ourselves and our respective
military advisers, will divert German strength from the attack on Russia.
"The Prime Minister and the President have met
twice before, first in August 1941 and again in December 1941. There
is no doubt in their minds that the over-all picture is more favorable
to victory than it was either in August or December of last year."