WAR AND PEACE

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 57, 5 September 1945, Page 6

WAR AND PEACE

COURSE OF BRITAIN

MR. ATTLEE'S BROADCAST

(By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright.) LONDON, September 3. "Yesterday the Japanese, the iast of our enemies whose ambitions plunged the world into so much bloodshed and misery, signed the surrender terms. Thus Japan's long course of Imperialistic military aggression has ended, said the Prime Minister, Mr. Attlee, m a national broadcast. "We should again acknowledge the debt we owe to the men of our own country and those from the Dominions, India, and the colonies, and from the United States, who, fighting not only against a ruthless, barbarous enemy, but also against appalling natural conditions, brought about this great event. "To the men of the Army, Navy, and Air Force we pay tribute, but perhaps at this time we should express intense satisfaction that at long last the ordeal of the Chinese people Ls terminated. LEAGUE DESTROYED. "The Japanese action in Manchuria started a train of events which culminated in the World War. The failure to deal with this first breach of the peace destroyed the authority of the League of Nations, in,which the generation which fought the First World War put its faith. This lesson that ■ peace was indivisible and could be preserved only by resolute maintenance of the rule of law through the world should have been learnt in 1918. "The world after then has experienced a second World War, more grievous than the first. The lesson that was not learnt in 1918 must be learnt today. "Six years ago today the sirens first sounded in London. We since then have known ail the vicissitudes of war. The British Commonwealth from the start to the finish has been in the war and taken its full share in every continent. We may well be proud of the efforts of our men and women at home and in the Dominions, India, and the Colonies. At no time when things were darkest has there been any failure of resolution, any whimper in the face of loss. TERRIBLE LOSSES. "We are' now emerging from those six years of waste —for, from the viewpoint of the progress of civilisation, war is nothing but waste. It is true that the darkness of destruction has been illuminated by many examples of magnificent courage and selfless devotion. "We have seen an unsurpassed exhibition of national unity. We have demonstrated to the world what is the strength of free peoples. "But against this, we must set the terrible losses. We have lost many of the finest of our youth, whom we can ill spare. There is not only the private grief which desolates unany homes, but also the public loss of irreplaceable human beings. We are suffering today from the loss of those who died in 1914-18 and we assuredly in the future will feel the lack of/ those who perished so that civilisation might continue. "We have won a great victory. We can share wholeheartedly the triumph with the Dominions and our allies, and we need yield' pride of place to none in the length of endurance, in the severity of the trials we encountered and overcame,' and in the extent to which we put at the service of humanity our resources. NEW RESPONSIBILITY. "But our triumph will-be empty and short-lived if we. do not take to heart the lessons which our suffering has taught and the heavy responsibility tfiat- victory entails. We have seen the garnered fruits of years of toil destroyed and dispersed in a few years unless we can set on the other side gains in the progress of the human spirit and in the growth of a new conception of human society those losses will be in vain. • "Today, more than ever before, looking back on the six years of waste and carnage, we should pledge ourselves anew to build up a world order in which all nations may dwell in security. The development of weapons of immense destructiveness, culminating in the release of the atomic bomb, has made this matter not merely desirable but also vital for tlie future of civilisation. "It will be our (task, in the closest association with other nations, to seek to establish a world order in which war shall be ever banished. "Our rejoicing must be tempered with a full realisation of the gravity of the problems that confront us in the era now opening. This is no time for relaxation, temptng as this is after the years of strain. I recognise to the full how weary are those who have borne the labour and heat of the day, but in any race it is the last lap that counts, and before we can rest there is much to be done. I want, therefore, to make plain to you some of the responsibilities we must shoulder. RETURN OF FIGHTING MEN. "It is natural that all of us desire the return as soon as possible of the men in the armed forces. The Government is resolved to do its utmost, but I have never encouraged ,you to think that the end of hostilities would mean" the immediate release of all the men and women in the Armed Forces. While conditions are so unsettled in Europe we must continue to find large forces for the occupation of the British zone in Germany. "The most difficult period of the occupation is likely to be the coming winter, when the inevitable shortages of food, fuel, and raw material will be disturbing influences. We must, take our share in establishing condi-' tions in Europe which will allow reconstruction without violence. "We have commitments in southeast Europe, the, Mediterranean, and the Middle East. 'These responsibilities fell on us as victor, and our sole endeavour is to enable the will of the people to prevail to assist in the establishment everywhere of Governments resting on popular consent. It is a difficult and perh/ss thankless task, but we have to perform it. "There are, too, the obligations in the East. We have to see the establishment of order in Burma and the other parts of the British Commonwealth which were overrun by the Japanese and in which peaceful administration can be restored only by the support, if. necessary, of armed force. OCCUPATION OF JAPAN. "The occupation of Japan and the restoration of the territories of ourselves and our allies will need substantial forces for some time to come. We must also maintain at the present time the garrisons of the vital fortresses along the network of our sea and air communications. "There is in addition the responsibility of the Royal Navy for the tasks of clearing mines, salvage, and disposal of wrecks, and there are heavy commitments for the emergency transport of men >and supplies, which will be difficult to meet with the depleted world shipping. "Thus the maintenance of adequate sea, air, and ground forces is vitally necessary if we are to fulfil our obligations to our allies and if we are to see that what has been won in the war is not lost in the immediate postwar period. "One of the prime difficulties of the situation after the last war was the inability of the Powers who won to provide the necessary forces for -the prevention of violent action by sectional interests pending the completion of the negotiations for world peace. We must not fail the world. We have fought for democracy, and we must ensure that the conditions for its exercise exist. "All this reacts on our situation here today. We planned for a possible continuance of the Japanese war for

some months, and the fact that it has ended before it was anticipated means an adjustment; but such an adjustment cannot be effected in a moment. "The return of our men to civil life is, of course, helped by this event, but the full effects cannot be realised immediately. "A detailed statement on demobilisation will be made soon. Some recent statements have been too optimistic; nevertheless, men and women are already being released from the Forces twice as fast as last month, and an average of 45,000 weekly will; be discharged for the rest of the year. "I ask all the men and women who may have to stay to do routine duty for some time yet to be patient. We will release you as soon as possible, but do not be apprehensive that you will be kept longer than is absolutely necessary. "We are desperately short of manpower. To meet the continuing needs of the Services men aged 18 to 30 are being called up unless they are urgently needed as key men in the vital work of reconstruction. In particular, we are calling up those who are now being released from the munitions industries. 5,000,000 WORKERS NEEDED. "To restore employment in civilian and export manufacture and in the non-manufacturing industries and to bring the Services to the 1939 pre-war level we require an increase of about 5,000,000 workers. There need be no doubt, therefore, that there is ample room for absorbing the maximum number that can be released from the Forces. "The review of military require-. mentsis being pursued with all speed. We have to consult with the Dominions and our allies and also to bear in mind the transport facilities. The workers and managements must improvise, as they did through the war, if we are to avoid unnecessary suffering on one hand and hold our own in the world on the other. "We fought a great fight. We gave our all for victory. Over all the hardships and dangers the future may hold, by the co-operation of the people and the Government Britain will triumph*