BRITISH OFFER TO U.S.A.

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

BRITISH OFFER TO U.S.A.

Defence Bases’ Lease CANADA AND WEST INDIES

Serving Mutual Interests

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, August 20.

in the final passages of his speech in the House of Commons Mr. Churchill dealt with the lease of bases to the United States.

He pointed out that Britain had to think not only for herself, but for the lasting security of the cause and principles for which she was fighting. Some months ago the British Government came to the conclusion that the interests of the United States and the British Empire both required that the United States should have facilities for the naval and air defence of the Western Hemisphere against the attack of a Nazi Power, which might have acquired temporary but lengthy control of a large part of western Europe and its resources. The Government, therefore, decided spontaneously, without asking or being offered any inducement, to inform the United States Government that it would gladly place such defence facilities at the disposal of the United, States by leasing suitable sites in the British transatlantic possessions.

Mr. Churchill recalled that the principle of association of interests for common purposes between Britain anu. the United States had developed even before the war in various agreements reached about certain small islands in the Pacific Ocean, which had become important air fuelling points. "Presently we learned that anxiety was also felt in the United States about the air and naval defence of their Atlantic seaboard, and Mr. Roosevelt made it clear that be would like to discuss with us and with Canada and Newfoundland the development of American naval and air facilities in Newfoundland and the West Indies,” said Mr. Churchill. “There is, of course, no question of any transference of sovereignty or any action being taken against the wishes of the various colonies concerned, but for our part the British Government i.s entirely willing to accord defence facilities to the United States on a 99years leasehold basis, and we feel sure that our interests, no less than tlieKs, and the interests of the colonies themselves, Canada and Newfoundland, will be served thereby.” BASES IN ATLANTIC ONLY, Detailed Discussions Yet To Begin LONDON, August 20. Replying to a question regarding the granting of facilities to the United States at Singapore and other Pacific bases, the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, said that the leases were conflined to the Atlantic —West Indies and Newfoundland. Detailed discussions had not begun, but Britain had agreed in principle. He was satisfied that no great difficulty would arise in the discussions. FUTURE OF EUROPE Mr. Churchill On “Men Of Vichy” LONDON, August 20. In a passage o£ ids speech in the House of Commons today in which he referred to the situation in Europe, Mr. Churchill remarked that if France lay wostrate at this moment it was the crime, not of a great and noble nation, but of what he called, “the men of Vichy.” They had profound sympathy with the French people and their old comradeship witli France was not at an end.

In General de Gaulle and bis gallant band that comradeship had taken an effective form. The day would come, surely as the sun would rise tomorrow, when the names of those free Frenchmen would be held in honour in liberated Europe. Even if France herself was temporarily overrun, there had been no reason why the French navy and an essential part of the French' army aud the French Empire overseas should uqt have continued the struggle at Britain’s side. If they bad bceu put iu the terrible position of France (now happily impossible), though it would have been the duty of Britain’s war leaders to fight on to the end, it also would have been their duty to provide for the naval security of Canada aud the Dominions.

Most of the countries tliat had been overrun by Germany for the time being had prevailed valiantly and patiently'—the Czechs, Poles, Nor w’cglans, Dutch, Belgians. They were still in the field and recognized by Great Britain and the United States as the sole representatives of their lawful Government and their respective States. •Since October, they had carried out negotiations with Norway, Holland, and Belgium. They had recognized the Czech Government, and had told General de Gaulle that their success would carry with it the restoration of France. No Elaborate Speculation. Mr. Churchill said he did not think it would be wise at the moment, while the battle raged and while perhaps the war was still in its earlier stages, to embark upon elaborate speculatioc about tiie future of Europe or the new security that must be arranged to spare mankind the miseries of a third world war. Before they undertook tiie task of rebuilding they had not only to be convinced themselves, but they bad to convince all countries tliat Nazi tyranny was going, to be finally broken.

The right to guide tiie course of world history was the noblest price of victory. They were still toiling up the bill, and had not yet readied tiie crest. They could not survey the landscape or even imagine what its condition might, lie when the longed-for morning came. The task which lay before them immediately was at once more practical, more simple, and more determined.

lie hoped, Indeed lie prayed, that they should not. be found unworthy of their victory if, after trials and tribulations, it was granted to them. They should not have to think only for themselves but for the cause and principle for which they wore fighting and the long future of tire British Commonwealth.