ALLIES' CAUSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 77, 1 April 1940, Page 7

ALLIES' CAUSE.

CHURCHILL SPEAKS

" Our Affair Is With Hitler And Nazi Germany."

OPINION OF WAR'S DURATION.

United Press Association. —Copyright

LONDON', March 31

Six months ago I said that if we peached the spring without any ereat event occurring w e should in tact have gained an important success, and I still f«l that this additional period for preparation has been of invaluable help to the Allies," sai d the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. Winston Churchill, in a broadcast speech.

,„ I>e | Ce » fUl , Pail:s,nentar - v nations have more chttKult.ee in transforming themseJvM into cast-iron, waAnaking "gaiusatione than dictator States who glorify war and feed their young on ill earns of conquest. *

Up to the present time has been on our sKle; but tune is a changeable ally. He may be. with you in one period against you in another, and then if you come through that other, he niav return again, more faithful than before

It seems to me that an intensification of the struggle i 6 to be expected, and we certainly are by no means inclined to shrink from it. We have never under-rated the terrible nature of what we undertook when, after etrivin« so long for peace, we set ourselves the task of dealing with the Nazi and German menace in such a fashion as would clear the path for human progress and enable all countries, great and small, old and new, to breathe freely for a long time to come.

People often ask mo, will the war be long or short? It might have, been very short—perhape, indeed, there might have been no war—if a ll the neutral Mates who share our convictions upon fundamental matters, and openly or secretly sympathise with us, had stood together at one signal and in one line. We did not count on this and therefore we are not dismayed. Smaller States Terrorised. "But the fact that many of the smaller States of Europe are terrorised by Nazi violence and brutality into supplying Germany with materials of modern war may condemn the whole world to a prolonged ordeal, with grie.voue consequences in many lands. Therefore I cannot assure you the war will be short, and still less that it will be easy. It is our duty to try not only to win the Avar, but to curtail ae far as possible its devouring course.

"Hardly a day passes without fresh outrages of cruel and barbarous character being inflicted upon the shipping and sailors of all European countries. Their ships are sunk by mine or torjiedo, or by bombs from the air, and their crews murdered or left to perish unless we are able to rescue them. Swedes. Norwegians, Danes, even Italians, and many more I could mention, have been victims of Hitler's murderous deeds.

"All these, outrages upon the sea, so clearly visible, pale before the villainous deeds wrought upon the helpless Czechs and Austrians, and sink into insignificance before the hideous agony of Poland.

"We shall follow this war wherever it leads, but we have no wish to broaden the area of conflict. At the outbreak" of the war we did not know that Italy would not be our enemy; we could not be sure Japan would not be our enemy; many people had hopes that Russia would re-enter the comity of nations and help to shield workingfolk all over the world from Xazi aggression. But none of these things, bad or good, has happened. We have ir> quarrel witli the Italian and the Japanese people.-; we have tried mid *hall try to live on good terms with them.

"It ii« not part or our policy to seek war witii Russia. There is no need for Russia to be drawn into this struggle, unless upon the promptings of obsolete imperialist ambition she wishes to do so of her own volition and of malice aforethought.

"Our affair is with Hitler and the Xazi German power, and it is there and there alone we seek to "strike.

Soldiers Ready To Strike. "All's quiet on the Western Front, and to-day, so far, nothing has happened on sea or in the air. But more than a million German soldiers are drawn up, ready to strike at a few hours' notice, all along the frontiers of Luxemburg, Belgium and Holland. At any moment these neutral countries may be subjected to an avalanche of steel and fire; and the decision rests in the hands of the haunted, morbid being who, to their eternal shame, the Germau peoples in their bewilderment have worshipped ae a god. "That is the situation in Europe tonight; and can anyone wonder we are determined to bring such a hideous state of alarm and menace to an end as soon as may be and once and for all? I

"Few there are to-night who, looking back on these last seven months, would doubt* that the British and French peoples were right to draw the eword of justice and of retribution. Fewer still there are who would wish to sheath it till its sombre, righteous work is done."