REPLY TO CRITICS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 106, 31 October 1942, Page 7

REPLY TO CRITICS

BRITAIN'S ROLE IN THE WAR

LONDON, October 30. The Home Secretary, Mr. Herbert Morrison, has just done some plain speaking for the benefit of Britain's critics abroad. He reminded our detractors that this country had entered the war for

reasons of principle. There was a time two years ago when the country administered to the allconquering Fuhrer his first defeat

—•the Battle of Britain

At that time we stood alone —the only barrier between Hitler and the quick and easy conquest of by far the greatest part of the globe. A iarge portion of the world was generous with its applause.

Today, there seemed to be rather a different story, and we were having critical shafts directed at us from different points of the compass, yet our attitude and outlook from the start of this war to the present day had been consistent. If it was held honourable and worthy of applause two years ago, it was not less so today. Mr. Morrison spoke of what he called- "the little matter of the victory over Mussolini," a brief episode which busy people of this time hardly had time to remember. We had captured some hundreds of thousands of Mussolini's warriors in various parts of Africa, and in a few weeks drove him out of the great mass of Abyssinian territory which he had brutally snatched from its inhabitants. We then made all possible haste to restore the country, and gave the people help with arms and advice to re-establish themselves.

■ Mr-. -Morrison also spoke of India, and of our efforts on the home front. He said we were turning out war munitions at a greater rate, in proportion to our population, than any country in the world. "I do not think the British need to .apologise to anyone for their three years' part in the war." he said. "We have made mistakes and suffered ill fortune, but happily we owe no one ; an explanation on this account except ourselves."

• He concluded with a tribute to the British people.