“TILL BELGIUM IS FREE”

Evening Star, Issue 23717, 26 October 1940, Page 11

“TILL BELGIUM IS FREE”

THE GOVERNMENT'S AIMS MINISTERS IN LONDON FIGHTING SIDE BY SIDE WITH BRITAIN (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 24. M. Gutt, th 3 Belgian Finance Minister, said the arrival of MM. Spaak and Pierlot in England made possible for the first time a full statement, of the position of the Belgian Government in Britain. He said that King Leopold, as a prisoner of war, caused the executive powers normally vested in him to pass to Cabinet, “ but no armistice convention, much less a peace treaty, was concluded with Germany.” There were 200,000 or 300,000 Belgians of military age in France, and Belgian war material and rolling-stock were still in that country. THE ONLY LEGAL GOVERNMENT. Speaking of the Belgians’ effort to continue the struggle, M. Gutt declared the situation was as follows: “ A number of Ministers relinquished their posts, while others are here in London. They are the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Colonies and Finance. We are the only legal Government of Belgium and nobody can, according to our Constitution, set up another, either in occupied Belgium or elsewhere. The aim of our Government is liberation of Belgium, liberation of our king, who is a prisoner of war, and restoration of our country’s territorial integrity and independence. Mr Churchill, speaking in the House of Commons on June 6, stated that it was the unswerving aim of his Majesty’s Government to secure for Belgium effective restoration of her freedom and independence. No Belgian will ever forget how, in the early morning of May 10, when Brussels was already being bombed by German aeroplanes without our receiving any ultimatum or declaration of war, our call to Britain to fulfil her guarantee met an unreserved response. Nor shall we ever forget the gallantry with which the British Army fought with us in the Battle of Belgium.

“ However hard may be the trials still to come, we know we shall live through them, and when we say we will not give up fighting until Belgian soil is free again we are voicing the unanimous will of both countries to attain this aim. We will act in full agreement with the British Government.”

Free Belgians, the Minister declared, were determined to take their full share of military action against Germany. He told how officers and men were coming to Britain at the risk of their lives, and their spirit was magnificent. A Belgian unit was already charged with the defence of a small sector of England and was there with its own colours proudly flying with the Union Jack. Gallant Belgian pilots were also serving with the R.A.F., Some had been killed in the great air battle and many more were eagerly awaiting in training camps the moment when they will be sent out to join battle.

M. Gutt concluded: “ Belgium today is the same Belgium which fought 26 years ago, hand in hand with Britain. We are fighting again the same enemy. We are fighting him hand in hand, and we are going to .win again.” , CONFERENCE IN INDIA PUNS TO RELIEVE BRITAIN ORGANISATION OF RESOURCES {British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 25. (Received October 26, at 1 p.m.) Reports from New Delhi describe how the Eastern Group Supply Conference was opened by the Viceroy on Friday. Representatives from many parts of the Empire were present. In his opening address the Viceroy said the conference implied that those parte of the Empire east and south of Suez were about to investigate the assumption of new responsibilities in order to relieve the Mother Country of such burdens as they could bear themselves at a time when Britain was preoccupied with difficult problems and was bravely bearing the brunt of the enemy’s attack.

A message from Mr Churchill to the conference said that it was to plan the mutual integration of resources and was a remarkable event in the defence of the Empire’s common freedom. “ You are building up a new world in armed strength to redress the balance of the old,” he said. “We here will find fresh encouragement in your labours, and look to the day when the forces created by all our efforts, both East and West, will advance together for the final overthrow of the powers of evil.”