"Less Than Enough, and We Lose"
A painting of a four-engine Lancaster bomber over trees sits above a long text quoting an address by Ralph P. Bell, Director-General of Aircraft Production, with his portrait. The tell is the text's picture of the alternative to victory ('we cease to live' and 'shuddering helplessness' under bombers), and the named official quoted as the authority for more aircraft output.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- National Steel Car Corporation, Limited, in co-operation with Aeronautical Lodge 717, International Association of Machinists
- Region
- North America
- Country
- Canada
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Corporation
- Regime
- Mackenzie King Government
- Leader
- William Lyon Mackenzie King
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, War and the military, Labor
- Event
- World War II
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Held by NARA, Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision (Canadian wartime poster, 1939-1945)
National Steel Car Corporation, Limited; International Association of Machinists, Aeronautical Lodge 717. National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-635.
Text on the object
"LESS THAN ENOUGH, AND WE LOSE" From the painting by C. E. Turner in the Illustrated London News This great four-engine Lancaster bomber that has just flown the Atlantic is visual evidence that the winning of this war depends on air power. But for one thing - the fact that the Royal Air Force held control of the skies over Britain in that memorable siege by air from the summer of 1940 to the late spring of 1941 - instead of today heartily welcoming a single Lancaster we might all be crouched in shuddering helplessness as giant German bombers roared overhead and dumped their terrifying loads of destruction on our homes and factories. For three years, our enemies have been winning this war; and, ALWAYS - wherever their attacks have succeeded - it has been because of mastery of the air. There is only one way we can win this war, WE MUST WIN CONTROL OF THE SKIES. Not only must we defeat the Axis air power, we must literally wipe it out. Simultaneously, we must destroy the plants in which they build their engines, or their airframes, or both. If we accomplish this, we can so terrorize them from the air that it will all be over in a matter of weeks. THAT IS THE PATH TO VICTORY; the shortest, quickest, cheapest path, in terms of both life and money. On that we must concentrate. As we value our homes, our families, our way of living; we must allow NOTHING to obscure our vision on this point; NOTHING to deter our attention from this goal. Enough planes; enough pilots; and the bombs, guns, ammunition, and other equipment with which to fight them - quick enough - and we win. Less than enough, and we lose. This is as certain as that night follows day. Let Germany and Japan defeat us in the air and we cease to live - as you and I know Life. Some of us will die quickly; some slowly and painfully; but Life - or what we call "Life" - will be gone forever; for us, our children and our grandchildren. This, then, is our opportunity; for our lives - while there is yet time. Let us pour into the production of aircraft every effort of which we are capable. From an address by RALPH P. BELL, Director-General, Aircraft Production Branch, Department of Munitions & Supply, on the occasion of the visit of the Lancaster bomber, August 31, 1942, to the Malton Plant of National Steel Car Corporation, Limited, where Lancasters soon will be produced. Distributed in the interest of Canada's war effort by NATIONAL STEEL CAR CORPORATION, LIMITED in co-operation with Aeronautical Lodge 717, International Association of Machinists
