THREE BIG EVENTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 300, 2 October 1939, Page 5

THREE BIG EVENTS

FIRST MONTH OF THE WAR. NAZI CHECK IN NEAR EAST. COUNTERING THE SUBMARINES. * (United Press Association —Copyright.) (Received This Day 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, October 15. The first Lord of the Admiralty (Mr Winston Churchill), broadcasting on the first month of the war, said: “We have not reached the severity of fighting that can be expected. Three important events, however,,had occurred. The first was the over-running of Poland, which, nevertheless, would emerge like a rock from a tidal wave; Russia’s assertion of her power in the pursuit of a cold-blooded policy of self-interest, though by such action had been created an eastern front which Germany dared not assail. Herr von Ribbentrop was summoned to Moscow to accent the fact that Nazi designs on Baltic States and the Ukraine must stop. Russia’s future action was a riddle to which a possible key was her self-interest. It was not in accordance with that self-interest that Germany should plant herself on the shores of the Black Sea, over-run the Balkans or subjugate the Slavonic peoples of South-Eastern Europe. Russia’s interest fell into the same channel as the British and French. None of these ’three could afford to see Rumania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria or Turkey under the heel of Nazi buccaneers. . “I proclaim, at the risk of being proved wrong, my conviction that the second great fact is that Herr Hitler and all he stands for is being warned off the East and South-East Europe. Gain in Cargoes Confiscated. “The third event—on which I speak, as First Lord, with special ■ caution—is that the U-boat attack on the life of the British Isles has not' so far been successful. It is true that when we were conducting ordinary business with 2000 ships in constant movement daily they did serious damage; but the Royal Navy immediately attacked them and is hunting them day and night. It is a week since a British ship, either alone, or convoyed, has been sunk or even molested on the high .seas, whereas .we captured, through contraband control.; 150,000 tons more of German merchandise—food, oil, minerals and other commodities—for our own benefit than we have lost by all the U-boat sinkings put together. “We have been told .that all the Uhoats have,gone home to tell their master about their ■ exploits and experiences. It is not true, because daily we are attacking them on the approaches to the British Isles. Some of the U j boats preferred to go off and sink unprotected Scandinavian neutral ships: I hope the day will come when. the Admiralty can invite the ships of all nations to join the British convoys and insure them on their voyages at reasonable rates. We must expect a renewal, on a greater scale, of the U-boat attacks on the world’s seaborne commerce, but we hope, however, that by the end of October we will have threefold as many hunting craft working as at the beginning of the war, and we hope our means of suppressing this pest will grow t continually.

“We are taking great care about that. As to what is happening in our own island, I feel keenly the reproaches of those who wish to throw themselves into the fight, hut for whom we cannot at present find full scope. All this will be clear as we get into our stride. The Government will make the maximum effort of which the nation is capable and will persevere whatever happens, until a decisive victory is gained. Parliament will he kept- in session, and all grievances, muddles, and scandals will be freely ventilated. A large army has already gone to France. British armies on the scale of those of the Great War are being prepared.”

Prepared for Three Years? War. Mr Churchill said: “The Government has given directions to prepare for at least three years’ war. That does not mean that victory may not be gained in a short time. How soon depends on how long Hen* Hitler and liis group of gangsters, whose hands are stained with blood and sticky with corruption, can keep a grip on the docile, unhappy German people. It was for. him to say when it will end. It began when he wanted it and will end only when ive are convinced that he; has had enough. Now that we have begun we are goingon with the help of God, with the conviction that wo are. defenders of civilisation and freedom. “Britain and France together are 85,000,000 strong, even in their homelands alone, and are united in their cause and convinced of their duty. Nazidom with all its. tyrannical power controls no more than 85,000,000, of which at least 16,000,000 newly-con-quered Czechoslovaks and Austrians writhe under the cruel yoke and—are held down by main force. We can bring the vast latent' power of tliq ..British and French Empires to bear upon tlie decisive points. Wo have freely been given the ardent- support- of 20,000.000 British citizens in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and ‘South Africa, lie have the heart and moral conviction of India on our side. I believe wo are entitled to the respect and goodwill of the world, particularly the United States.

“Hero I am in the same post as 1 was 25 years ago. Rough times lie ahead, but how different is the scene from October, 1914. Then the French front, even with British assistance, seemed about to break under the' terrific impact of German Imperialism. Russia had been laid low at Tannenberg. The whole might of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was embattled against us. The brave warlike Turks were about to join our enemies. We had to be ready day and night to fight a decisive battle with the formidable German fleet. I do not under-rate what lies before us, but I have no doubt that we have strength to carry our good cause forward.”