INVASION FORESTALLED

Evening Star, Issue 23726, 6 November 1940, Page 7

INVASION FORESTALLED

MAJOR VICTORY FOR BRITAIN ANXIOUS MONTHS NOW PASSED LONDON, November 5. (Received November 6, at 1.45 p.m.) “ The plain fact that an invasion planned on so vast a scale was not attempted, despite the enemy’s very great need to destroy us, anal that all those anxious months when we stood alone while the world wondered have passed, alone constitutes one of the historic victories of the British Isles,” said Mr Churchill in the House of Commons. “Itis a monumental milestone on our forward march. Both on the home front and in the Mediterranean we are far better off than could be predicted four months ago.” Mr Lee Smith said the most effective way of helping those Italy had attacked would bo to bomb Italy continuously. '»Our occasional raids against Italy thus far are not air operations,” he said, “ but mischievous stunts, because they warned the enemy what could he expected and gave them time to prepare. We should have diverted bombers to some extent from Germany to Italy.” Mr Churchill replied: That is our policy. If we had the French bases we could act with great regularity, but we are compelled to make long flights from England over the Alps and around the coast. The weather also interrupts the continuity of our operations. We will

endeavour to make amends in the future. .In the debate that followed several members referred to the lack of bases in Ireland, and the opinion was expressed that Ireland, who existed only because of Britain’s protection, should make bases available to Britain. The debate was concluded.