BEARD NOTHING BUT STALE OLD THREATS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 81, 5 April 1940, Page 7

BEARD NOTHING BUT STALE OLD THREATS.

OVER NAZI RADIO. Mr. Chamberlain Contrasts British Unity. HITLER "MISSED THE BUS." United Press Association.—Copyright (Received 10.30 a.m.) * LONDON, April 4. Mr. Chamberlain, in a speech at Ihe Conservative party annual meeting, said: "I listened-in this morning for anything startling from the other side of the Rhine. I heard nothing but stale old threats. '•I do not believe our nation in its whole history has been so completely united on broad aims of policy and determination to carry on a fight till it lias achieved its purpose. "We should welcome the cessation of party strife. Nothing could discourage enemies and hearten friends 6O much ae the dropping of differences to fight a common enemy." Mischievous Peace Movements. The Prime Minister described, the activities of peace organisations as mischievous, but examination of by -elections >ho wed there was no need to take them t-oriously or feel apprehension of their riicceee with the electors. "Whatever reason Hitler had for making no immediate endeavour to overwhelm us, there is one thing certain— ho miesed the bue. Those seven months have enabled Uβ to remove weaknesses and 6O enormously to add to our fighting strength that the fiture can be faced with a calm, steady mind.

'•I feel afl«*r seven months of war ten times as confident of victory ae at the l>eyinning. I would be the laet to underrate the enemy 6 strength or hie determination to use it without mercy ;f he tliinke he can do eo without, his blows being returned with interest, "The very completeness of his preparations has left the very smallest margin of strength to call on. We, on the contrary, have not yet reached our full etrength. Wβ are" making great efforts to do 60. • '■"Neutrals know all the difference between what we have done and the brutal, calloue and wicked proceedings of Germany, which hae sunk neutrals without warning and exposed the crews of. ships- 'there has been a', growth of sentiment among neutrals for ue. 'The fact- ie, that Germany hae no friend i« the world, although "many are dominated' by fear of her military power. Blockade Less Effective. "Although we are anxious to keep all rules, it cannot be expected that Germany will (be allowed indefinitely to I n-otit from our ecrupulouenees, and draw aid from neutrals who are not free agents and who know that our victory; would spell freedom for them and that our defeat would doom them to slavery. "The blockade to-day ie less effective than formerly. Our operations are haml«red by considerations for the interests iif neutrals. Loopholes, however, are !>eing stopped one by one, and the strangling effect of the blockade will increasingly drain the lifeblood from the enemy." Mr, Ckamberlaih described the FrancoHrititm declaration ae the beet assurance of the eeeential element* of security available to Britain. "Whether the war m intensified or long drawn out I hold faith in the tenacity of the race/ , he declared.

FOOD POSITION. NAZI PROPAGANDA DENIED. British Official Wireless. (BccelVed 1.30 pjflo.) RUGBY, April 4. the Prime Minister said: "German propaganda, perhaps in order to sweeten their own choice of guns instead of butter, hae been spreading it about that we are short of food in this country, and they have been so persistent in it that many people, kind friends of ours in other countries, are sending parcels of eatables add food here. "If, some time later, we want to save shipping space for war materials, or if we want to restrict the demands upon oar foreign exchange, we may have to do without some things that we have been used td. But we can stand a lot of curtailment yet without feeling any the worse for it."