CAUSE TO REJOICE

Grey River Argus, 11 February 1941, Page 6

CAUSE TO REJOICE

BRITAIN’S RECOVERY

From Last Year’s Danger SPEECH BY MR CHURCHILL LBritkii Official Wireless! RUGBY, February 9. Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill, Prime Minister, in his broadcast speech, said: Five months have passed since I spoke to the British nation and Empire on broadcast. In wartime, there is a lot to be said for the motto, “Deeds, not words.’’ All the same, it is good to think and look around from time to time, to take stock, and certainly our affairs have prospered in several directions during the past four or five months far better than most would have ventured to hope. We have stood our ground, and faced the two dictators in the hour of what seemed to he their overwhelming triumph, and we have shown ourselves capable so far of standing up against them alone, after the heavj defeats of the German Air Force by our fighters in August and September. Hitler did not desire to attempt the invasion of this island, although he had need to do so. and had made vast preparations. Baffled in this grandoise project. he thought to break the spirit of the nation by bombing, first London and afterwards our great cities. (Received February 10, 5-30 p.m.) RUGBY, February 9.

Mr Churchill after recounting the victorious progress of the Army of the Nile, said: “Egypt and the Suez Canal are safe, and the port, base and airfields of Benghazi constitute a strategic point of high consequence in the Eastern Mediterranean." He paid a high tribute to General Wavell and to the leaders under his command.

Referring to the flexible resources of British sea power, Mr Churchill said: “How far-reaching these resources are we can see from what happened al dawn this morning, when our Eastern Mediterranean Fleet, under Admiral Somerville, entered the Gulf of Genoa and bombarded in a shattering manner a naval base from which, perhaps, a Nazi German expedition might soon have sailed to attack General Weygand in Algeria or in Tunis.

“It is right that the Italian people should be made to feel the sorry plight into which they have been dragged by Dictator’ Mussolini, and if the cannonade at Genoa, rolling along the coasts and reverberating in the mountains, reached the ears of our French comrades in their grief and misery it might cheer them with a feeling that friends —destructive

friends —are near, and that Britannia rules!

“While these events have been carrying us stride by stride from what many people thought a forlorn position, and was certainly a very grave position in May and June, to one which permits us to speak with sober confidence of our power to discharge our duty, heavy though it be in future —while this has been happening. a mighty tide of sympathy, goodwill and effective aid has begun to flow across the Atlantic in support of the world cause at stake. Distinguished Americans have come over to see things here at the front, and to find out how the United States can help us best and soonest. In Mr Hopkins, who has been my frequent companion during the last three weeks, we have an envoy of the President who has been newly re-elected to his august office. In Mr Willkie, we have welcomed a champion of the great Republican Party. We may be sure that they will both tell the truth about what they have seen over here, and more than that we do not ask. The rest we leave, with good confidence to the judgment of the President, ' Congress and people of the United States. “I have been so very careful since I have been Prime Minister not to encourage false hopes, or prophesy smooth and easy things; and yet the tale that I have to tell to-day is one which 'must, justly and rightly, give us cause for deep thankfulness, and also, I think, for strong comfort, and even rejoicing.”

MESSAGE TO MR CHURCHILL. FROM N.Z. PRIME MINISTER. WELLINGTON, February 10. Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, Prime Minister, sent the following message to Mr Churchill: “Heartiest congratulations on your splendid address, which was received here this morning under excellent radio conditions. Its inspiring and heartening character will strengthen and win fire the spirit of all the British peoples throughout the world in their determination to complete the task to which they have set their hand The courageous example of people of the Homeland, in th e midst of their terrible dangers and grim privations, calls forth our deepest admiration. We would like you to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you always, and that, in our own war effort, we endeavour to match our energies with those of the Brilisn people.”