ROAD TO VICTORY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 281, 22 August 1940, Page 9

ROAD TO VICTORY

Britain’s Waxing Strength WILL TO WAGE AN OFFENSIVE Churchill’s Address To Commons

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, August 20, Steps on Britain’s road to victory were reviewed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Churchill, in a lengthy statement m the House of Commons today. One of the ways to bring this war to a speedy end, he said, was to convince the enemy by deeds that Britain had both the will and the means not only to go on indefinitely, but to strike heavy, unexpected blows. Whether the road to victory was long or short, rough or smooth, they meant to reach their journey’s end. , The House of Commons was crowded to hear Mr. Churchill's statement. The occupants of the diplomatic galleries included the American, Brazilian, Argentine, Egyptian, Russian, and Spanish ambassadors. The speech lasted for nearly 50 minutes and was frequently loudly cheered. . . In the course of the speech the Premier stated that British aircraft production already largely exceeded that of Germany, and in addition there was the flow of aircraft and an immense mass of other war materials from America. In Britain there were now more than two million men under arms, and the Royal Navy was likewise far stronger than at the beginning of the war. He said that the dangers Britain faced were still enormous, but so were her advantages in resources. The people were entitled to know that there were solid grounds for the Government’s confidence, and also that they had good reason to -believe themselves capable of continuing the war if necessary alone and if necessary for years.

The Premier 'began with a comparison of the character of this and the last war. Last time men fought by hurling masses of steel at one another. This was a conflict of strategy, organization, technique, science, mechanics, and morale,. The British casualties in the first year of the Great War were 365,000. The first year of this war was drawing to a close, and the British killed, wounded, prisoners, and missing, including civilians, numbered about 92,000, of which a large proportion were prisoners. Throughout all Europe for one man killed or wounded in the last 12 months, perhaps five were killed or wounded in 1914-15, “The slaughter is but a fraction, but the consequences to the belligerents have been even more deadly,” he said. “We have seen great countries with powerful armies dashed out of coherent existence in a few weeks. We have seen the Erench Republic and the renowned Ifreneh Army beaten into complete and total submission, with less than the casualties they suffered in any one of half a dozen battles of 1914-18. Moves are made upon scientific and strategic boards, advantages are gained by mechanical means, as a result of which scores of millions of men become incapable of further resistance or judge themselves incapable of further resistance, and the fearful game of chess proceeds from check to mate, by which the unhappy players seem to be inexorably 'bound.” But Mr. Churchill thought that thia new type of war, in which the entire population fought, was well suited to the British genius. Nurtured in freedom and individual responsibility, and with a united will, the British people would- give a better account of themselves, because they were not the products of totalitarian uniformity but of tolerance and variety. Methodically Preparing. Hitler was no_w sprawled over Europe, but the British offensive springs. were being slowly compressed, and Britain was resolutely and methodically preparing herself for the campaigns of next year and the year after. Many opportunities would lie open to an amphibious Power. “One of the ways to bring the war to a speedy end is to convince the enemy by deeds that we have both the will and the means, not only to go on indefinitely, but to strike heavy, unexpected blows,” sai'd Mr. Churchill. “The road to victory may not be as long as we expect, but we have no right to count upon this. Be it long or short, rough or smooth, we mean to reach our journey’s end.” Rehearsing “the cataract of disaster” which had poured out upon the Allies since the new Government was formed in the middle of May, Mr. Churchill said: “If we had been confronted at the beginning of May with such a prospect, it would have seemed incredible that at this point of a period of horror and disaster we should stand erect, sure of ourselves, masters of our fate, and with the conviction of final victory burning unquencha-bly in our hearts. Eew would have believed that we could survive. None would have believed that we should today not only feel stronger, but should actually be stronger than we have ever been before. “Let us see what has happened to the British nation. The British Empire, finding themselves alone, stood undismayed against disaster. No one flinched or wavered—nay, some who formerly thought of peace now think only of war.

“Our people are united and resolved as they have never been before. Death and ruin become small tilings compared witli the shame of defeat or failure in duty. It may be that even greater ordeals lie before us. We will face whatever is coming. We are sure of ourselves and of our cause. Here is a supreme fact.

“Meanwhile, we have not only fortified our hearts, but our island. We have re-armed and rebuilt our armies in a degree which had been deemed impossible a few months ago. We have ferried across the Atlantic, thanks to our friends over there, an immense mass of munitions of all kinds, cannou, rifles, machine-guns, cartridges, and shells, all safely landed without the loss of a gun or a round. The output of our own factories, working as they never worked before, has poured forth. A vast British army is at home. More than 2,000.000 determined men have rifles and bayonets in their hands 'tonight and three-quarters of them are in regular military formations. The whole island bristles against invaders from the sea or air. Naval and Air Achievements. “Our navy is far stronger than at the beginning of the war. The great flow of new construction set on foot at the outbreak of the war is now beginning to come in. We hope our friends across the ocean will send us timely reinforcements to bridge the gap between the peace flotillas of 1939 and the war flotillas of 19-11. The seas and oceans are open. The II-

boatg are contained. The magnetic mine is mastered. “Merchant tonnage under the British flag, after a year of unlimited U-boat warfare, after eight months of intense mining attack, is larger than when we began. We have, in addition, under our control, 4,000,000 tons of shipping from captive countries which have taken refuge here or in the harbours of our Empire. Our stocks of food of all kinds are many times greater than in the days of peace.” The Prime Minister came next to the air battles of the last few days in which the course of fighting so far had been most favourable to Britain. “Greater efforts may yet be made by the enemy than any he has so far put forth,” he said. “Hostile airfields are still being developed in France and the Low Countries, and the movement of squadron material for attacking us is still proceeding. “Hitler could not admit defeat in his air attack on Britain without most serious injury. If, after all these boastings, blood-curdling threats, and lurid accounts, trumpeted round the world, of the damage he has inflicted, of the vast numbers of our Air Force ho has shot down —so he soys, with so little loss to himself—after tales of panic-stricken British crouched in their holes, cursing the plutocratic Government which lias led them to such a plight, his whole air onslaught were forced' tamely to peter out, the Fuehrer’s reputation for veracity of statement might be seriously impugned. We may -be sure, therefore, that he will continue as long as he has the strength and as long as any preoccupations he may have in respect of the Russian Air Force allow him to do so.” Undreamed of Power. Germany’s numerical superiority in the air remained, but in view of the fact that production in Britain had already largely exceeded German production and American .production was only just beginning to flow in it would not continue. “We shall be able to continue the struggle indefinitely,” said Mr. Churchill, “and as long as the enemy pleases, and the longer it continues the more rapid will be our approach first toward that parity and then into that superiority in the air upon which in a large measure the decision of the war depends.” Mr. Churchill paid eloquent tributes to the R.A.F. —to the fighter pilots and to the bomber squadrons who, travelling far into Germany, inflicted shattering blows upon the whole technical war-making structure of the Nazi power. “We are able,” he said, “to verify results of the bombing of military targets in Germany, not only by the reports which reach us through many sources, but also by photography.

“I have no hesitation in saying that this process of bombing the military and industrial communications of Germany and the air bases and storage depots from which we are attacked, which will continue upon an ever-increasing scale till the end of the war and may in smother year attain diineiA sions hitherto undreamed of, affords one of the surest, if not the shortest, of all roads to victory.

“Even if the Nazi legions stood triumphant on the Black Sea or, indeed, upon the Caspian, even if Hitler was at the gates of India, it would profit him nothing if at the same time the entire economic and scientific apparatus of German war power lay shattered, and pulverized at home.” Mr. Churchill said that: while the invasion of Britain had become a more difficult operation since Dunkirk, Britain’s great preponderance of sea power enabled them to turn their strength Increasingly to the Mediterranean and to the enemy that, without the slightest provocation, stabbed France in the back and was now marching against Britain in Africa. Future in Middle East. The defection of France had been deeply damaging to Britain’s position in the Middle East. In the defence of the protectorate of Somaliland they had counted on a strong French force attacking the Italians from Jibuti. They had also counted on the use of Erench uava) and air bases in the Mediterranean and upon the French fleel. The decision to defend Somaliland had been arrived at before the war changed when France gave in. Lately the small British force consisting of a few battalions and a few guns had been attacked by all the Italian troops, amounting to nearly two divisions, which previously had faced the French in Jibuti.

“It was right to withdraw our troops virtually intact for action elsewhere.” Mr. Churchill added. “Far larger operations no doubt Impend in the Middle East theatre, and 1 certainly will not attempt to discuss or prophesy about their probable course. We have large armies and many means of reinforcing them: we have the complete.

sea. command of the eastern Mediterranean, and we intend to do our best to give a good account of ourselves and discharge faithfully and resolutely all obligations and duties.” Mr. Churchill said that, for his own part, looking upon the future, lie did not view the process with any misgiving, Tie could not stop it even If he wished. No one could stop il. Take the Mississippi, it just went rolling along. I«et it roll along in full flood, inexorable, irresistible, benignant, to broader lands and better days.