NAZI MOVE AWAITED

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23058, 28 June 1940, Page 7

NAZI MOVE AWAITED

Britain Faces Attack CONFIDENCE IN VICTORY (British Official Wireless and United Press Association—Copyright.) (Received June 27, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, June 26. “I can speak to you in a spirit of tempered optimism. I know we will have to face hard and anxious times, but our strength and spirit will be sufficient for any trial,” said the Secretary of State for Wat' (Mr R. A. Eden) in a broadcast to the people of Britain. Britain was. well provided with guns, which, assisted by her powerful Air Force, would make the lot of an aitinvader increasingly unenviable. Mr Eden emphasised the official advice to civilians to stay put when attacked. He added; “A brave and disciplined citizen population is an essential formation for home defence, but the enemy will soon learn that it is not the nature of our people to sit placidly and be bombed without retoTt. No battle is won by standing on the defensive. We will sally against the enemy when the time comes. Already we are achieving success in offensive operations in other parts of the world.” Mr Eden said that the time was approaching when the enemy would launch an attack on Britain. No doubt the bombing attacks at a height already started would be continued. “I am convinced that they will be repulsed, and we shall subject the enemy in his own country to a constant and heavy counter-attack from the air.” Ho was confident that the enemy would be beaten off, first, because of the British character. The fate of France was a lesson. “It is only by the dedication of the human spirit and human will through the length and breadth of the land that complete and final victory can be won.” Feats at Dunkirk Already, though operating at a great disadvantage, the Royal Air Force had inflicted severe losses upon the enemy. It often had to fight far from its bases or from extemporised bases. It had never yet met the enemy without the numerical odds being in the enemy’s favour. “But, remember what happened on the only occasion when it was operating from its own bases, and when the numerical odds were not utterly fantastic,” ho added. “During the evacuation from Dunkirk, the Royal Air Force is known' to have destroyed as many as 70 German aircraft in a day, and the enemy’s additional unconfirmed losses must, of course, have been very great. Our airmen can hope to do even better when fighting in their own skies." Stating why he thought every other form of enemy offensive besides aerial attack would be defeated, Mr Eden said that Mr Churchill had announced the fact that there were 1,250,000 men under arms in Britain, excluding 500,000 local defence volunteers and Canadian and Allied tropps who had been arriving from France. “Never before have we had so many soldiers in this island. We are confident we can throw sufficient forces against any enemy who attempts to land on our shores and attack him and defeat him. We do not underestimate the enemy, but for once he will be operating under the disadvantages which wc have always experienbed in our Continental wai's, and in addition ho will have to supply his forces overseas without possessing command of the seas. I can therefore speak to you to-night in a spirit of reasoned confidence.” Help From United States Concluding, Mr Eden said: “Apart from our own strength, we are receiving great help from the United States, with the strong support of public opinion in that country, which is send-, ing us supplies of arms and munitions. By so doing, they are rendering us a service of which we are in need for the cause which they have fully understood. “Let me make it quite clean that we are obtaining munitions, not in the hope that they will delay a conquest of our land, but because we are confident that we can win the war. Our strangle-hold is still on Germany. “Already in other parts of the world we are achieving success in offensive operations. It is this offensive spirit which so clearly animates our forces in the Middle East. It augurs well for the future. “We can have no doubt of the issue, you and I. This is a conflict between two ways of life, which admits of no compromise. It is the age-long struggle between good and evil. This is a struggle -ior the future of man and for the freedom of his mind and soul.” CHILDREN FOR DOMINIONS ADVISORY COUNCIL CHOSEN ' LONDON, June 26. The Under-Secretary of State for the Dominions (Mr Geoffrey Shakespeare), in the House of Commons, announced the personnel of the advisory council to the Children’s Overseas Reception Scheme, under the chairmanship of Lord Snell. Many members of the council are associated with social and welfare organisations. They include the, COUhtess Of Bessborough, Sir Ronald Lindsay, who was Ambassador at Rome, Miss. Florence HotsbrUgh, Miss Ellen Wilkinson, and Mr Gordon <3reen, representing the Fairbtidge Farm schools. A message from Sydney states that, although the Commonwealth Government’s plans for the transfer, of Children from war areas to Australia are based oh the bringing out of 5000 children, offers of homes fat exceed that number. The inter-state executive of the Australian Workers’ Union, which is financially and numerically the largest Union in,the,Southern Hemisphere, has decided to .offer full CO-operation in the speeding Up of the War effort. A Shortage of experienced SCamCn. is giving Australian shipping companies difficulty in manning ships trading round the Australian coast and to New Zealand. Shipping, officials believe the shortage is caused by , seamen accepting snore jobs and enlisting in the Army. Recruiting in Australia—Recruiting for the army Continues very successfully throughout Australia, enlistments in New South Wales averaging nearly 1000 a day ever since the recruiting dt-ive began some weeks ago. Men are going into e a mp at the rate of 700 a day.—Syaagyj. JOfl#. JHL... such of the cable news in this issue a§ is so Headed has appeared in '*Tfie 'Times," arid is sent, to this : paper 6* Special permission. , It should pe understood that the opinions are not those of "The Times Unless expressly stated to be So. —2