ALLIED STRENGTH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 28, 13 November 1939, Page 5

ALLIED STRENGTH

INCREASING EVERY DAY OF WAR. SUPERIORITY IN THE AIR. REVIEW BY MR CHURCHILL. Press Association — Copyright. (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, November 13. Broadcasting to-night, the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr Winston Churchill) reviewed the first ten weeks of the war, which, he said, had tinned out well for the Allies. The power of the Empire and the French Republic to restore the life of Poland and Czechoslovakia was growing every day. Britain and France had tried in many ways to prevent war, and for the sake of peace had let many things happen that ought not have happened. Now war was forced on them, Britain would persevere in making war until the other side had enough. “You may take it for certain,” said Mr Churchill, “either that all Britain and France stand for in the modern world will go down, or Hitlerism, the Nazi regime, and the recurring German or Prussian menace to Europe will be broken and destroyed. That is the way the matter lies, and everybody had better make up their minds to that solid, sombre fact.” Mr Churchill paid a tribute to the calm resolution of the British people. In the weeks which had elapsed since the outbreak of war Britain had got herself into fighting trim. The Navy and Air Force were stronger and the Army more numerous. U-boats had been controlled, and British world-wide trade was proceeding in 4000 vessels, of which 2500 were constantly at sea. The superiority of the Air Force had been proved. YVe shot down 15 German overseas raiders without losing one ’plane in combats. YVe have a marked advantage in the higher range of science applied to war. Italy, which we had feared would be drawn from her historic partnership with Britain and France, had preserved strict neutrality. No quarrel had developed between us and Japan. These two Powers, which had joined Germany in the Anti-Comintern Pact, found it difficult to accommodate themselves to the change of front toward Bolshevism which Herr Hitler and his bad adviser, Herr von Ribbentrop, had perpetuated. No one could under-rate the importance of the treaty between France and Turkey. - The Soviet Government embodied in the formidable figure of M. Stalin had barred off once and for over all Nazi dreams of advance'•in the East. “The left paw of the Bear bears Germany from the Black Sea, and the right paw disputes with her the control of the Baltic. Nazi Germany is barred off from the East and has t<? conquer the British Empire and the French Republic or perish in the attempt.” Referring to Holland and Belgium, Mr Churchill said that these nations had been given solemn guarantees by the Nazis, but their frontiers had been crowded with vast numbers of German troops. “I shall not attempt to prophesy whether the frenzy of a cornered maniac will drive Herr Hitler into the worst of all his crimes, but, this I say, without doubt, the fate of Holland and Belgium, like that of Poland, Czechoslovakia and Austria, will be decided by the victory of the British Empire and the French Republic. If we are conquered all will he enslaved, and the United States will be left singlehanded to guard the rights of men. If we are not destroyed all these countries will be rescued and restored to life and freedom.”

The Natzi Government, continued Mr Churchill, could not see one friendly eye in the whole world. Even Russia regarded the Nazis with a flinty staue. “Let us take courage amid the perplexities and perils, for it may be well that the final extinction of baleful domination will pave the way to a broader solidarity of all men in all lands that we could ever have planned if we had not marched through the fire.”—British Official Wireless.