WAR SITUATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 February 1940, Page 9

WAR SITUATION

LORD CHATFIELD’S REVIEW

[BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

RUGBY, February 18.

Lord Chatfield, in a speech at Cardiff, reviewed the war effort at sea, in the air, and on land. “Let us remember,” he said, the British Empire was built up by sea power, and as long as we can keep the sea command, we shall hold the Empire. Germany also realises the importance of our sea power, so she is endeavouring to destroy us at sea. Unable to challenge us with surface ships she has tried, and is still tiying, to destroy our commerce and that of neutral countries by the illegal use of the torpedo, mine and bomb. When Germany decides on a course of action that she thinks will give her an advantage, no sense, law, or humanity is allowed one minute’s consideration. In the last war it took two years for her rulers to decide on what was called unrestricted warfare against unarmed merchant ships. This time they started immediately. They knew that they were able to sink many ships before they were organised in a carefully calculated way. They tore up treaties they had signed since the last war. To do so meant nothing to their present rulers, who, we .cannot doubt, would equally tear up any other treaties anyone might be unwise to sign with them in the future, if to do so would give a needed advantage, and surprise their victims. This practice of murder on the high seas is a typical German invention, never heard of except by pirates and buccaneers before Germany had- a navy. “Then there is the indiscriminate sinking of neutral merchant ships, 119 having been sunk, totalling nearly 350,000 tons, of which nearly half have been deliberately torpedoed. Fortunately, our navy is well prepared for this treachery. It has sunk German surface ships that have ventured to sea. Her submarine fleet is reduced by half, and will, I believe, continue to be destroyed at a greater rate than she can add to it. We shall equally liquidate, or shall we say purge the sea of her minefields. But she is a crafty, vicious foe, and we shall have many losses as well, and must not let them dismay us.”

Referring to the war in the air, Lord Chatfield said: “I am convinced that our air policy has been correct and wise. We have gained valuable time to build up our strength for attack and for the defence of these islands. We shall bring our great evergrowing air strength into play at the right instant. Meanwhile our army is preparing to play the great part that undoubtedly awaits it. To-day we have under training alone well r over a million men.” After referring to the generous share contributed by the Dominions, colonies and India to the British effort, Lord Chatfield referred to the progress of the gigantic task of providing powerful complicated arms and munitions for all these forces. He .referred in particular to an important contribution made in this regard by Wales. “Let us make no mistake about the task we have to defeat an enemy that, for many years, has spent his whole effort in preparing for war,” :he said, “an enemy that is highly ef- . ficient and cunning, and has forcibly I united his people in support of his evil intentions. It is difficult to continue to fight with our natural spirit of chivalry against, an enemy who acts with the mentality of a tiger.’