VIOLENT ACT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 291, 9 December 1941, Page 6

VIOLENT ACT

ENEMY INDICTED 0 DICTATED POLICY MR. CHURCHILL'S SPEECH British Official Wireless. Rec. 9.30 a.m. RUGBY, Dec. 8. An indictment of Japan for her violent act of aggression was made by the British Prime Minister, Mr. Churchill, in a speech before a hastily-summoned meeting of Parliament. In his speech Mr. Churchill said:— "As soon as I heard last night that Japan was attacking the United States, my first feeling was that Parliament should be immediately summoned. For the main principle of Parliament should be, and it is indispensable to our system of Government, that Parliament should play a full part in all the important acts of the State and on all the great occasions in th? conduct of the war. The great number of the members who attended, in spite of the shortness of the notice, shows the zeal and strictness with which the members of both Houses attend to their duties. "You will remember that a month ago, with the full approval of the nation and the Empire, I pledged the word of Great Britain that, should the United States become involved in a war with Japan, a British declaration would follow within the hour. "The President told me that he would this morning send a message to Congress which would be the constitutional instrument by which a United States declaration of war would be made, and I assured him that we would follow immediately. However, we were informed that the British States in Malay had been the object of attack, and then it was announced from Tokyo that the Japanese High Command had declared that a state of war existed with Great Britain and the United States. Immediate Declaration Authorised "There have been in Japan a number of military societies—secret socities—which have asserted their views as to what the policy of Japan should be, and it is to these bodies that the most strange and violent action of 'Japan, so fateful to her future, must be ascribed. "In view of the attack and of this declaration, there was no need to wait for the declaration by Congress. We authorised an immediate declaration of war, and instructions to this effect were sent to our Ambassador at Tokyo and the Japanese Charge d'Affairs and staffs in London, wh(J have been given their passports. "Meanwhile, hostilities have already begun. The Japanese began to land in northern Malay about six o'clock, that is 1 a.m. local time, yesterday. , "Home Office measures against Japanese nationals were set in motion a little after 10 o'clock last night. You will see, therefore, that no time has been lost.

"The Royal Netherlands Government has very important Oriental possessions. In view of the hostile acts perpetrated by Japanese forces against two Powers with which the Netherlands maintained close relations, they consider that a state of war now exists between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Japan. ■ Message to Thailand "Just before Japan went to war I had sent to the Siamese—»the Thailand—Prime Minister this message: There is a possibility of an imminent Japanese invasion of your country. If you are attacked, defend yourselves. We shall regard an attack on you as an attack on ourselves." "It is worth while looking for a moment at the manner in which the Japanese began their assault on the English-speaking world, and particularly on the United States. The Japanese envoys, Admiral Nomura and Mr. Kurusu, prolonged their mission in the United States while a surprise attack was prepared, an attack which was to be delivered before any declaration of war. "There is no doubt that every effort to bring about a peaceful solution was made by the Government of the United States." Appeal to British Workers Mr. Churchill appealed for greater efforts on the part of the British people, especially munition workers. "Supplies whereon we counted and which have been diverted to Russia," he said, "must now be made good by us. The diversion of other supplies whereon we counted for ourselves might to some extent in the next few months, cause a gap which we must fill." i Mr. Churchill said that aircraft were more than ever necessary as the war spread to so many States. "None can doubt," continued Mr. Churchill, "that every effort to bring about a peaceful solution has been made by the United States Government and that Immense patience and composure has been shown in the face of growing Japanese menace. Now that issue is joined in a most direct manner it only remains for the two great democracies to face their task with whatever strength God may give them."