BE CONFIDENT!

Grey River Argus, 4 December 1940, Page 6

BE CONFIDENT!

SIR HARRY BATTERBEE ! On the Progress of the War Reference to the war situation, and especially the war in the Balkans and th& Mediterranean, was made by Sir Harry Batterbee, High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in New Zealand, at the civic reception tendered to him and Lady Batterbee at Greymouth last evening. The main thoughts of the - people at the present time, said f Sir Harry, were on the war, and the hardships being suffered by the people in the old land, so he, would give a general view of his idea of the war. In the Battle- for Britain, Britain had won the first round, and Hitler had lost. There was no doubt about that. There were still, however, anxious and difficult days ahead. The second round was just beginning. Hitler had thought that he could beat England with a knock-out blow' as he had the other countries. He had tried first tc smother the country with daylight air raids —he failed. Now he was indulging in night bombing, taking a leaf out of the British book and in terrific raids on towns. He had raided in an attempt to break down the spirit of the people. It could not be denied that Hitler had met with some success by slowing up the production of aircraft, etc. Some time, the answer to the night bombing would be found, and, until then, hard times were ahead. Hitler was conducting terrific attacks on shipping, with recent small successes. The reason for this was bad luck, with a number of destroyers lost, and a number damaged. Until the numbers were increased, the convoys could not be given the greatest protection. In the Battle for Britain, among the preparations for invasion was the Home Guard. At first, the public were inclined to smile at the Home Guard, but it turned out to be a tower of strength, and proved that if the Germans landed, there would not be much left of them. Sir Harry wished the organisation in Greymouth every success, and said that he was sure that it would also become a tower of strength here.

When Hitler found that he could not overcome Britain by a knock-out blow, he had looked towards the West Mediterranean,. said Sir Harry. He had to go and meet Franco on the Spanish border. This was very significant, as Hitler vq£ts so used to calling people to him. Everyone had been surprised when Spain would not join the Axis, and would not allow any German troops to cross Spanish territory to attack Gibraltar from the rear. This was Hitler’s first political defeat, his first military defeat being in England. He had then met Mussolini at the Brenner Pass, where they had planned the seizure of the Balkan countries.

“Musso,” continued' Sir Harry, was to attack Greece while Hitler was to go through Bulgaria and Rumania. The two . Powers w r ere to meet in Turkey, which would then be asked to join the Axis and be given Syria, or be smashed. Then Hitler would attack Egypt from the north, while Mussolini’s troops would attack from the west. Another idea of the attack on Greece, he said, was to draw British troops from Egypt, leaving the way open for an attack there. Men had been sent to Greece. New Zealand airmen had proved a terror to their lenentffes. However; the plan went wrong, the Greeks lighting like their ancestors. That the Greeks had a very poor opinion.of the Italian morale was illustrated by their ready reply to the invasion. Sir Harry said he would however, warn those present against over-confidence in regard to the Greek victories. The other part of the plan was also not going too well. Germany had practically seized Rumania, but when she had looked at Bulgaria, Turkey had stepped in, and had stated that if Bulgaria were attacked she would take a very serious view of it. Hitler had then sent for ,M. Molotov,' and had, no doubt, offered to him all sorts of things if Russia brought pressure to bear on Turkey. However, he was evidently unable to convince Molotov to do so. In time, the arrival of German bombers in Greece would be heard, as it was probable that Germany would help its ally. “One feels when one sees what has happened in the last few months — the evacuation of Dunkirk, the going down of France, Mr Churchill’s speech at the moment when it looked as if the Empire would stand alone, and when it looked as if the Expeditionary Force in France would be lost, or forced to capitulate,” continued Sir Harry “that the age of miracles is not dead. It was a miracle when Dunkirk was evacuated, the English Channel remaining calm for a week and enabling all the small craft available to take off the men. Another miracle occurred in September when Hitler had intended to invade England. He had collected all the boats at the French Channel ports, and all the troops, etc., were prepared for the crossing. On September 15 he made the greatest air attack on London, and the Air Force shot idown 185 enemy planed, and many more never reached Germany.! The next day there was the full moon, and on this, the day selected for the invasion, a great storm sprang up, upsetting the boats and scattering' them as a' storm did years ago the I Spanish Armada.” Sir Harry said he was confident' that the British Empire would pull I through, Their safety depended on the people in London and the Midlands sticking it out. Owing to constant air raids, millions of people had hardly had an ordinary night’s sleep for months. Now, those people who slept in air raid shelters would have • to fight against the cold and discomfiture. However, a complaint was ; hardly ever heard, and the people j were undismayed and unafraid. They < were giving all they had for the cause of the freedom and independ- 1 ence of the whole world. The people ( in New Zealand should give those; people who were hard pressed all the,] help they could, for by helping them J they were helping themselves. If the < British were to go—God grant that < they never would—the Empire would 1 go with them. The people at home ; needed not only military assistance, i but required all the primary produce possible. He warned the people of the Dominion to be prepared to make ; the same sacrifices as the people were 1 in England. They shoud go without '

anything that was unessential. Great : Britain was anxious to keep exports going as far as possibe and hoped that all her trading relations would improve. However, as they wanted dollars and foreign exchange as much las possible, England was trading as much as possible with the United States of America. Their foreign ex- ! change was very low, and was needed for purchases from the United States. The war was costing Great Britain ten million pounds a day, and that money had to be raised by borrowing from the people of the country. Everything given in New Zealand to the Expeditionary Force made the amount needed so much less. If New Zealand used sterling to buy unnecessary imports, it would leave less sterling to pay for the Expeditionary! Force. It wbuld be appreciated ifj the people would do everything they I could to help win the war and would! do without luxuries. They could help i by sharing, sacrifices and sympathies,! by donating for Spitfires, sending! clothing to London, and in many j other ways. “Throw everything into the struggle I Be confident we are ; going to win, for it’s the only way i we will win!” Sir Harry concluded, I