REVIEW OF WAR BY CHURCHILL

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23809, 1 December 1942, Page 5

REVIEW OF WAR BY CHURCHILL

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright.) LONDON. Nov. 29. "I am no prophet, but this much I will say about the future as it appears to my own judgment. It may well be that the war in Europe will end before the war in Asia. The Atlantic may be calm before the Pacific hurricane rises to full pitch," said Mr Churchill, in a wond broadcast to-day. "If events should take such a course, we will bring all our forces to the other side of the world, and give aid to the United States and China, and, above all. to our kith and kin in Australia and New Zealand in their valiant struggle against Japanese aggression,” he continued. "While we are thus engaged in the Far East, we should be engaged with the United States and our Russian allies, and those of the United Nations concerned, in shaping the international future and the national settlements which must be devised if the free life of Europe is to rise again, and if the clouds of tyranny are to be prevented from disturbing the peace of the world. "No one can possibly know what the state of Europe or the world will be when Nazi and Fascist tyranny has been broken. We must brace ourselves to cope with the problem that will confront us in the stern and terrible year of 1943. We do so with growing strength, and we do so as a nation that will struggle on with a good conscience.” Mr Churchill recalled that a week ago the bells had rung out to celebrate the victory at El Alamein. That was an episode in British history which deserved the greatest recognition, but the bells also carried the message that in spite of errors and shortcomings the world had been ,brought nearer to the frontiers of deliverance. Those frontiers had not yet been reached, but it was possible to be surer that the awful perils which might well have blotted out their life and all they had and cherished would be surmounted. “When we look back along the path we have trodden in the last three years we should not allow confidence to clqud our minds,” said Mr Churchill, “but I think we are entitled to take the view, which history will endorse, that Britain has had the honour to play a part in saving the freedom and future of the world.” . That wonderful association of States and races spread all over the globe known as the British Empire, or the British Commonwealth of Nations, and particularly the small island of Britain, had filled the gap alone m the fateful year. No one throughout the Empire had faltered. All round had been dark, but Britain and the Empire had kept the light burning which now spread brightly over the vast array of the United Nations. That was why it was right to ring out the bells and lift heads for a moment in gratitude before joining action again in the grim and probably long path which lay ahead. Successes in Africa

“Since we rang the bells for Alamein, our cause has prospered,” he declared. “The Bth Army has advanced nearly 400 miles, driving before it the remnants of the powerful force of which Rommel boasted, and which Hitler and Mussolini believed, would conquer Egypt. Another serious battle may be pending at the entrance to Tripolitania. “It is not for me to prophesy about battles before they are fought, but I will say that we have the greatest confidence in Generals Alexander and Mongomery and the soldiers and airmen who have at last begun to come into their own.

“On the other side of Africa, 1000 miles to the west, the tremendous joint undertaking of the United States and Britain has already met with some success. To transport those large armies of several hundred thousand men with all their modern equipment secretly across the seas, timed to the hour and almost the minute to land simultaneously at something like 12 points, in spite of U-boats and other hazards, was a feat of organisation which will long be studied with respect. It was really possible only by one fact. That was the comradeship and understanding prevailing between the British and American staffs and crews.”

This majestic enterprise was under the direction and responsibility of the President of the United States. The Ist Army was under the orders of the United States Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant-General Eisenhower, whose military skill was beyond doubt. Behind the land forces was the power of the Royal Navy, which had been joined by a powerful force of the United States Fleet, all under the command of Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham. who in turn was subordinate to the Allied commander. Mr Churchill said that the U-boats had been beaten and brushed aside in their attacks on the powerful British and United States convoys, both inside and outside the Mediterranean. The movement of many scores of ships could hardly be kept secret, and large numbers of U-boats had been concentrated from all quarters. Destroyers, corvettes, smaller craft, and aircraft had worn them down and beaten them off. For every transport lost, at least one U-boat had been sunk or badly damaged, and for every ton of shipping lost the Allies had gained perhaps two tons from shipping acquired or recovered in French Harbours. General Alexander had timed his attack at Alamein to suit exactly this North African campaign, and by his victory had encouraged his colleagues and had stiffened the resolve of Frenchmen in North Africa to fight for freedom. Control of Mediterranean Acquisition of .ne 2000 miles of African coastline fronting the underside of Europe would mean that the enr-my would feel the results before long, said Mr Churchill. Africa would be no halting place. It was not a seat, but a springboard.

Anyone could see the importance of control of the Mediterranean to Allied military tactics. Perhaps through this thrust, with its consequent saving in shipping by use of the direct route, the Allies would be able to strike as heavy a blow at the U-boat as any in the whole war.

The occupation would open up air battles on a new front. He firmly believed that one of the main factors in victory would prove to be the continued air offensive to keep the forces of the enemy occupied. Already the German air force w'as a wasting asset,' with losses exceeding production. The British, American, and Russian air forces wore already far larger than the forces of the Axis, and were growing steadily, “The rate of British and American air force expansion in 1943 will be w T ell worth watching," he predicted. “This expansion gives us more freedom of operation over the Continent and the fronts on which the Royal Air Force will be able to deploy in the Mediterranean will give us extra operations in abundance in 1943. Threat to Italy “Operations in French North Africa should enable us to bring the full weight of the war home to Italy in a manner never dreamed of by her guilty leaders, and still less by the unfortunate Italian people, who have been exploited and disgraced by Mussolini. “Already northern Italy has received harder blows than Britain during the winter of 1940, but if the enemy should be blasted from Tunis -we will be able to attack al‘ the targets in the southindustrial centres, naval bases, and communications.” said Mr Churchill. “All these will be brought under long, scientific, and shattering attack. “It is for 40,000.000 Italian pcop’e m say whether they want this terrible thing to happen to the country or not. One man, and one man alone, has

Effect Of Allied Successes

forced them to this fate. There was no need for them to go to war. We did our best to induce them to remain neutral, and enjoy peace and prosperity. but Mussolini could not resist the temptation of stabbing France and ‘the poor, helpless British’ in the back. "Mad dreams of imperial glory, conquest, and booty, arrogance, and unbridled tyranny led to this shameful act. Mussolini ignored the appeal of the American President. To-day, the Italian Empire is gone, more than 100 Italian generals and nearly 300.000 soldiers are in our hands as prisoners. That is only a beginning, and what can the Italians show for it? “They Lavs a short promenade along the Riviera, by courtesy of Hitler. They have paid a flying visit to Corsica, have been engaged in a bloody struggle in Jugoslavia, and have committed deeds of undying shame m Greece, and now they see the ruins of Genoa. Turin, and Milan. "That is only a foretaste. One man and the regime he created have brought these calamities on the hardworking, gifted, and once happy Italian people, for whom in the past the English-speaking world had so many sympathies, and no quarrels. How long must this endure?

Russian Offensives “Swift and decisive as have been our actions in Africa, they should not divert our attention from the blows the Russians are striking on the Eastern Front. All the world wonders ‘at the giant strength which Russia has been able to conserve and apply. The invincible defence of Stalingrad has been matched by the commanding leadership of M. Stalin. “When I was leaving the Kremlin last August. I said to him: ‘When we have decisively defeated the Axis in Africa, I will send you a telegram. He replied: ‘When we make our coun-ter-offensive here’—and he swept his finger across a map—T will send one to you.’ Both messages have arrived, and both have been thankfully received “I speak of the battle which has yielded results of the first magnitude and is moving forward to its climax. This is only one part of the Russian front stretching from the White Sea to the Black Sea, along which at many points the Russian armies are attacking. The jaws of another Russian winter are closing on Hitler’s 180 divisions, many of them reduced to little more than brigades. Thousands of Germans will suffer privation, together with hosts of miserable Italians, Rumanians, and Hungarians, dragged from their homes. , ~ , , “As they reel back from the §teel of the avenging Soviet armies, they must prepare themselves with weakened resistance for a second dose of what they got last year They have been commanded and led not by the German General Staff, but by Corporal Hitler himself.

Effects on France “It was foreseen when we were planning our campaign in North Africa that there would be an immediate reaction in France. I had not the slightest doubt ;hat Hitler would break the armistice terms, and overrun all France, and try to capture the French fleet at Toulon. Such developments were to be welcomed by the Allies, for they would mean the extinction of the Vichy Government, and mean a step towards the unity of all France. “There is now no gap between occupied and unoccupied France, for no"r all Frenchmen are under the German yoke, and are likely to hate it with equal intensity. We maybe sure that after what has happened the ideals and spirit of what we have called Fighting France will have a dominating influence on.the whole French nation. “I agree with General de Gaulle that the last scales of deception have fallen from the eyes of the French people. Indeed, it was time. How Hitier lives up to his promises is shown by the perfidy with which he tried to ' trol of the French fleet. That fleet has been brought by foUy. folly, to its end, but has redeemed it sell by the act of self-obliterahon and from the flames and smoke and explo sions of Toulon, France will rise again. “The ceaseless flow of good news from every theatre of war which has filled the whole of November confronts the British people with a new test. They have proved they can stand defeat and have proved they can stand with fortitude and confidence long periods of unsatisfactory and. unexplained inaction. I see no reason at all why we should not show the setne reso* lution in the face of victory. I cannot even guarantee that more successes are not under way, and I commend to you Kipling’s lines: If you can dream, and not make dreams your master. If you can think, and not make thoughts your aim. . , .... If you can meet with triumph and disAnd treat those two impostors just the same. “Bitter and Bloody Years Ahead” “That is my text for this sermon—though I have no licence to preach continued Mr Churchill. “I know of : nothing that has happened yet to justify the hope that the war will not , be long and that bitter and bloody . years do not lie ahead. Certainly some I bitter experiences lie before us if we , allow ourselves to relax and allow our ; discipline to weaken and fall to quar- '■ rolling as to what we will do about vie- : tory before it has been won. It is only by the continued and faithful dis- t charge of our duties that we can at- { tain peace of mind and look forward to [ victory. t “Remember that Hitler's armies and ; secret police hold nearly all Europe in j their grip. Remember that he has mil- . lions of slaves to toil for him and £ manv mighty arsenals and fertile fields, j Remember that Goering has said that \ whoever starves it will not be the Germans. These villains know their lives : are at stake. “Remember that the U-boat war has ’ not diminished, but is growing, and y will be worse before it is better. Facing the ugly facts undaunted, we shall learn to use victory and its spur to f further efforts and make good fortune the means of gaining more. “It seems to me that if the war should end in two successive stages ■! there will be a higher sense of comradeship round the peace table than prevailed among the victors at Versailles. Then the danger was past and the bonds between allies had been snapped. - There was no sense of corporate responsibility as would have been the i case if nations still waging war side c by side wore sitting round the table, I should hope that we would be able , to make better and more lasting solutions of the problems at the end of this war than was possible 25 years ago.” y CONGRATULATIONS TO ; MR CHURCHILL I MESSAGE FROM MR FRASER f (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 30. “Please allow me to tell you at once how warmly your speech has been pp- : predated in New Zealand,” said the Prime Minister Cthe Rt. Hon, P. fj, Fraser) in a cablegram dispatched lo V ? i Mr Churchill to-day. “Your eloquent 1.,; j words,” continued Mr Fraser, “admir- >‘ ■' ‘j ably and moderately express the j gratification of all of us at this'f t month’s successful turn of events, and',., at the same time emphasise and re-; T .) inforce the courage and determination I?:.’! with which we arc all resolved to face ' if' the tests and trials that are yet to;'. 4, come. As always your words are anjdif] inspiration lo us. “I take the opportunity also of ex-fc‘S tending to you our best wishes onifye vour birthday and for your continuedff.i'jft health and vigour in the coming||;ii. , yeaiV ’ ill Ol a