DEBATE ON WAR SITUATION

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23323, 8 May 1941, Page 9

DEBATE ON WAR SITUATION

WAR SITUATION DEBATED.*-Lending- figures in the debates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords on Tuesday on the war situation were Mr R. A. Eden, the Foreign Secretary, and Lord Moyne, Colonial Secretary and Leader of the House of Lords.

Mr Eden’s Review Of Events

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, May 6. Opening the debate on the war situation in the House of Commons, the Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) reviewed the events of-the last few months in particular relation to the hostilities in the Middle East. For this survey, Mr Eden took as his starting point early in February, when it had become clear that the Germans, having overrun Rumania, intended to establish themselves in Bulgaria, to encircle Jugoslavia, to subject Greece to pressure, and to immobilise Turkey, and from that position, attained Without firing a single shot, to deliver their main blow from secure bases and attack our positions in the eastern Mediterranean. The subsidiary purpose was to help Italy, which was not going any too well in Albania. “Hitler has described how well the Italians did," said Mr Eden. “He congratulated them on weakening the Greeks. Forty-five millions weakening seven millions! I do not suppose a more insulting tribute has ever been paid to any ally. “On February 8, our forces entered Benghazi. In view of the need for resting the men and refitting and refuelling the vehicles, there was not a possibility of prolonging the advance to Tripoli. The previous plan had been to halt after Tobruk, and make a western flank there, but it was rightly decided to seek a further brilliant advance to Benghazi. “On the same day, February 8, a Note from the Greek Government reached Britain confirming its determination to resist German aggression. It told us that Greece had united her fate with ours and would fight until final'victory. It asked us to consider what help we could give and the conditions in which we could give it. It was not a cry for help. It was a statement of the Greek position, and a request that we should state ours. “In the face of these conditions, the Government decided to maintain its decision previously arrived at—to hold the desert advance at Benghazi and prepare a force to go to the help of Greece.” said Mr Eden. “This involved diplomatic and military problems, and General Sir John Dill and I set out as.envoys." Mr Eden recalled that with the collapse of French resistance the British were left In a position of the utmost difficulty and gravity in the Middle East, where the three mam armies were ’French—in Syria, Tunis and JikU “Our forces were relatively small, with a serious shortage of equipment, and in the late summer the Government was deeply exercised by the situation. After General Sir Archibald Wavell had come home for consultation the Government took the decision to take great risks to reinforce that army, and there were sent nut armoureid units, men, material, and aircraft, and it was that equipment and those weapons which enabled General Sir Henry Wilson and Lieu-tenant-General Sir Richard 0 Connor in their desert advance to secure such brilliant successes.” Commanders in Agreement On arrival in Cairo, Mr Eden and General Sir John pill found the three commanders-in-chief in complete agreement with the policy of supplementing . the help already sent to Greece in the autumn by the dispatch of land formations, leaving in Cyrenaica forces sufficient to meet anything expected there. . “With the exception of Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, who had one of his occasional appointments with an elusive enemy, all the participants in these conversations visited Athens, and on arrival I received a message that the King and the Prime Minister wished first to see me alone, said Mr Eden. “They once more made it abundantly clear that Greece was determined to resist Germany, as, she had Italian aggression. The Prime Minister added that whatever the hopes of repulsing the enemy, Greece would defend her national territory even if she could count only upon her own forces. We were deeply impressed by the courage and loyalty shown by the Greek leaders. “The decision to establish British and Greek forces on the short Aliakmon Line, which afforded a reasonable Chahce of holding the German advance, was speedily reached in complete agreement between the military experts, one of the considerations weighing against other alternatives being uncertainty about Greece s northern neighbours. “In this war, we are fighting not for gain but for causes, and Greece s is the embodiment Of these causes. I believe that had we not gone to her help we could not have raised our heads again. We had the advantage of consulting in Cairo that most wise statesman and tried warrior, General Smuts. He, too, was in complete agreement With the decision arrived at.” Message from Greeks Mr Eden then read the reply to the message from the House of Commons, Congratulating the Greek Government on the valour and actions of its troops. “I thank, you for your cordial message,” the reply read. “Please, assure the House of Commons and the British people that their eulogies of the Greek Army will touch the hearts of our whole nation. We will never forget the loyal and courageous help, the British and Imperial troops gave to our soldiers in, defence of their native land. Our Allies showed themselves worthy to rank with the ancient heroes of Themoplyae and to write letters of gold in the glorious pages Qf British, history. I desire once again to assure you that we will continue the struggle by the side of our great Ally, the noble people of the British Commonwealth, until Victory is won and the triumph of the ideals of liberty, morality, and international justice is achieved.” Turning to the importance attaching to the policy pursued by Jugoslavia, My Eden said; “What was needed was a common plan offering the best chance of resisting attack together. Every effort to secure it failed until the moment of the coup d'etat, . . “In fact, mobilisation was not proceeding fast enough, and it was not again until the coup d’etat that the new government of General Simovic made a real and immediate effort to

get its armies ready. It was then too late. “Had the Governmffht that preceded that coup d’etat clearly understood its country’s true interests, as had the Government of General Simoyic, the whole story might have been different, but none of these things can detract from the courage of the decision that the Jugoslav people eventually took. We have pledged ourselves to redeem Jugoslavia’s independence, and that pledge will be honoured.” Conversations with Turks Passing to his conversations with Turkish statesmen, Mr Eden said they enabled them to discuss the Balkan situation fully, on the basis of firm and mutual confidence. The Turkish Government was informed as an ally of Britain's plans in connexion with Greece, and it was naturally cognisant of developments in Jugoslavia. “I was throughout impressed by the loyal friendship shown by all the Turkish statesmen w; met, and by the determination they and their people showed to stand firm against any menace to their sovereignty and any encroachment of their rights and intercsts. "The importance of Turkey’s role as a bulwark against further aggression in Ahe Middle East is obvious. I am sure that loyalty to tlieir alliance is as ever the basis of the Turkish Government’s foreign policy.” In a few words addressed to the Arab world, Mr Eden said that in all recent history there had been no rule more cruel or more ruthless than that Imposed by Italy on the Arabs living

in Tripoli and Libya. The Arabs in any land must know that the approach of Axis rule meant the - end of their liberties, which they jealously guarded. Concluding, he said; “The dominant need must be for more ships and munitions. Every move in the diplomatic field is conditioned by our military strength. T , , “Not once does Germany or Italy show anywhere the least respect for any engagements. Their only sanction is force. The United States is helping us greatly in many spheres, and in many ways, and the more ftdty ,® n< " rapidly and the more certainly that help can reach the battlefields in Asia, Africa, and Europe, the shorter will be the duration of the war. That is why an immense step forward was taken by the United States m deciding to send ships through the Red Sea, It must be our privilege, together with the help we can receive from the United States, to win for the nations of Europe the right to live their own lives in peace and tranquillity, secure at last from the haunting dream that shadows our own time.’ Eire’s Neutrality Mr E B. Lees-Smith (Labour) said: “Our inability to use Irish ports is fantastic and has now become a matter of urgency, in view of the situation in the Mediterranean. The use of Berehaven and Lough Swilly m Our own Dominion of southern Ireland would transform the submarine attention of the United States should be drawn to this matter, because the policy of patrol is being defeated by southern Irelands P o ' l^ Sir Percy Hams .(Labour) said. “There is a feeling that over and over again the Foreign Office has. been outmanoeuvred. We should cease to be superior and adopt the crude but effective methods of Germany. Mr Eden should overhaul the Foreign Office an ® recognise that this is not a kid-glove W Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha (Liberal), a former Minister for War, said help to Greece should have been given six months earlier, as' was then advocated urgently in all sections of the Hbuse ot Commons. Italy was then most vuln^,r, Our tafek,” he said, “was to break Italy’s communication with Albania, and if possible break Italy herself. Members pleaded for the discharge ot bur obligation to Greece by the concentrated bombing of Italy. Why wasn’t the request followed when Lord Beaverbrook was, saying that our stores were bulging with aeroplanes? Grave calamities will ensue unless we remedy what is wrong with our information service. It- failed us in Norway, and France, at Dakar, and in Iraq. How much longer can this selfdeception continue?” Mr E. Shinwell (Labour) said; We are still day-dreaming about the amount of shipping we shall receive from America. Mr Churchill has declared that next year several million tons of American shipping will be available to us. An analysis of the American shipping programme and the capacity of American shipyards completely disproves it.” Several speakers expressed their confidence’ in Mr Churchill, and it was stated that it would be necessary to go back to the days of the younger Pitt to find a statesman who could compare with Mr Churchill.