BRITISH SUCCESSES

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1939, Page 7

BRITISH SUCCESSES

DELIBERATE UNDER-STATEMENT. [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] (Recd. October 20, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, October 19. The deliberate under-statement which marked Mr. Chamberlain s speech ,in the Commons, yesterdaydealing with enemy air-attacks on Fleet bases, is welcomed by the Press, and attention is drawn to his observation: “The extent of the enemy’s disappointment at the failure of their attack to inflict any serious injury on our ships may be measured by the fantastic nature of the claims they felt obliged to invent.” The “Daily Telegraph” says: “It is clear that our Government is determined that the world shall be given no reason to judge Britain by similar standards. The advantages to be got by lying are short-lived. If our communiques are to win implicit belief, which alone has a lasting value, they must not lay claim to successes which are not thoroughly established. Adhering strictly to these principles, the Prime Minister took the highest estimate of the number of German bombers concerned in the recent raids, and reckoned only eight machines, actually seen to have been brought down, itt arriving at his statement that the casualties inflicted on the enemy exceeded 25 per cent. In the circumstances, his dry admission, that they may have been higher, sets the mind speculating as to how very much higher Nazi methods of computation would have made them.” The “Manchester Guardian” says: “A reputation for frankness and truthfulness is one of the greatest assets we can have. German propaganda must always beat us in volume, ability, and unscrupulousness. But, in a long war, its very extravagances must de feat its ends. The more vigorous the lying and the boasts in these early months of war, the sooner will Germany bring herself into universal discredit."