“FORTRESS WAR”

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 37, 23 November 1939, Page 6

“FORTRESS WAR”

REVIEW BY MR HORE-BELISHA. MAGNITUDE OF UNDERTAKING. TERRITORIALS NOW IN LINE. (United Press Association— -Copyright.) (Received This Day. 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, November 22. The Secretary of State for War (Mr L. E. Hore-Belisha), in a statement in the House of 'Commons on the progress of the war on land, described it as a fortress war. Referring to the fact that the Polish army was now being resuscitated on friendly soil, he said that cause which they were so resolute to vindicate attracted like a magnet their countrymen in all parts of the world. ■ < Since he informed the House that Britain had 158,000 men in France, some thousands had followed them. “By the spring they will have been reinforced again by no inconsiderable armament,” said Mr Hore-Belisha. “So it would continue until the cause was won. Nearly 1,000,000 men were under intensive training in Britain. Our defences by seg, land and air and the barriers against aggression had been established by prevision, and the provision of its underground accommodation and its closely emplaced batteries of guns extends along 200 miles of .the frontier. Whereas Germany had- to defend 200 miles, of frontier, France had. to ’envisage the possibility of aggression by Germany along 800 miles from the North Sea to the Alps. Me now share the task. “There are French troops in the British part of the lino and British troops in. the French part. Understanding and good relations are complete. The sector at present allotted to the British Army, while not comparable with the major system of the Maginot Line, was thus fortunately provided in advance with field works. The task which fell to our soldiers on arrival was to add to and improve upon these, a task which they are undertaking with a will. An organisation of almost inconceivably great dimensions has been established. Food, clothing, equipment, correspondence and amusements of a whole community arc distributed over a distance of hundreds of miles. “In the initial stages the British Expeditionary Force consumed 500 tons, of petrol daily. Now that alternative bases are established additional locomotives will be imported and the permanent way laid. Still it is a question of vehicles and more vehicles. We have already sent to France over 1000 tons of spare parts and accessories. “In addition to the military classes, igore than 85,000 volunteers have been taken into the army. It would have been impossible to complete the formations in France without the assistance of the Territorial Army, whose peacetime training has justified its generous sacrifice of leisure. The Territorials reached Franch much earlier, compared with 1914. In order to win the eneiny must. break the Allied defences assault on which is awaited with confidence by Marshal Gamelin. The Allied sea, land and air defences are safely covering ceaseless propitiations.” The Maginot Line was a. debt that freei nations owed to France’s vindicated caution, continued Mr HoreBelisha. -The anti-aircraft and coast defences of Britain were continuously manned by a personnel whose conditions of service were in many instances lonelier and harder than those of the men in France. “It is a war of endurance, a quality for which British are renowned,,” continued the Minister. “Each day finds ~ us stronger but the passage of time has not had, the same effect on the enemy’s economy. We can afford to choose our opportunity. Our strategy is predetermined, so is the issue of this r struggle.”—British Official Wireless.