CHURCHILL’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

Grey River Argus, 21 May 1943, Page 5

CHURCHILL’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

FUTURE PROSECUTION OF WM

ACTION AGAINST JAPAN INDICATED

Favourable Reactions in United States

[Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 11.5.) < LONDON, May 20. All Europe heard Mr. Churchill s speech, to the United States Congress. A summary of the first Hadf ? vas broadcast in German while the Prime Minister was still speaking. An Italian translation followed, and tne speech was later- put out in more than twenty languages. Comment from America is generally favourable. The United Press says that Mr. Churchill played on the emotions of his audience in his usual skilful manner, and had them cheering and chuckling, and was grimly tense by turns. The New York morning papers almost universally accord Mr. Churchills statements unequivocal endorsement. The speech evoked gratifying comment from the majority of the Members of Congress, 'the speech also apparently found considerable favour with followers _ of the bond market, where prices spurted smartly, net gains ranging as high as four points.

War Strategy Outlined BRITISH ATTITUDE 10 PACIFIC. [British Official Wireless!. RUGBY, May 19. The promise of British co-opera-tion in ‘‘the unflinching, relentless waging of war against Japan," the promise of intensified air assault 1 against. Axis industry, the revelation of the recent record sinking of Üboats, a warm tribute to the Russian armies holding 190 German and 28 satellite divisions, and the prediction that Hitler would make a third desperate throw against Russia—these were notable points in a 50 minutes’ speech which Mr. Churchill delivered this afternoon to both Houses of the United States Congress. The speech was broadcast from Washington. The Prime Minister, who was introduced by the Speaker (Mr. Rayburn) received a tremendous ovation. Mr. Churchill said: “The fact that ydu invited me to come to Congress a second time, now that we have settled down to the job, and that you should welcome me in so generous a fashion is certainly a high mark in my life, and also shows chat our partnership has not done so badly-’’ • . . „ . , Recalling his previous visit, just after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, Mr. Churchill spoke of “the sense of relief and comfort,” he then felt, at the comradeship which was cemented in common peril, and added: “The experiences of a long life and the promptings of my blood wrought in me a conviction that there is nothing more important tor the future of the world than the fraternal association of our two peoples in righteous work, both m war and peace.” . So it was, said Mr. Churchill, he was able to prepare himsejf in a confident, steadfast spirit to bear the terrible blows which evidently were about to fall—which were bound to fall—on British interests in the Far East. He recalled these blows singly. and described the operations in the Malay Peninsula and at Singapore as the greatest, or at any rate, the largest military disaster in British history. Then he said, amid loud applause: ‘‘AU this has to be retrieved, all this and much else has to be repaid.” This led him to his forthright declaration regarding Japan: “Let no one suggest we British have not at. least, as great an interest as the United States in the unflinching, relentless waging of war against Japan—..’’ Roars of cheering interrupted Mr. Churchill who continued: “And aiding Australia and New Zealand to d,efend themselves against the Japanese invasion.” This, ho said, seemed far more threatening at the time of Singapore than it did now. “I am here to tell you That we will wage that war side by side with you, in accordance with the best strategic employment of our forces., while there is breath in our bodies and while blood flows through our veins,” he said.

STRATEGY IN THE EAST. In this connection Mr. Churchill alluded to the presence with him of Commanders from Asia. A notable part in the war against Japan,, he said, .must be played by the large armies and air. and naval forces now marshalled by Britain on the eastern frontier of India. In this quarter there lav one of the means to bring aid to hard-pressed, long-tor-mented China. He declared: “I regard the bringing of immediate effective aid to China as one of the most urgent of our common tasks.”

Loud laughter greeted him when he said drily: “It may not have escaped your attention that I brought to this country Field Marshal Wavell and the other two Commanders-in-Chief from India and they have not travelled all this way simply to concern themselves about improving the health and happiness of the Mikado of Japan.” Mr. Churchill continued: “You may be sure that if all that were necessary was for an order to be given to the great armies standing ready in India to march towards the Rising Sun and open the Burma Road, that order would be given: this afternoon. The matter is, however, more complicated and all movements and infiltrations of troops into the mountains and jungles of North-east India ar e strict!v governed by the science of logistics, but I repudiate the slightest suspicion that we would hold anything back that could be usefully employed, or that I and the Government I represent are not resolved .to employ every man. gun. and aeroplane that can be used in this business.” He recalled that in the January conference with Mr. Roosevelt the United States had undertaken the main responsibility of prosecuting the war against Japan and Britain took the main burden in the Atlantic. Britain, he said, had willingly done her full share of sea work in the dangerous waters of the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic convoys to Russia and had sustained, since the Alliance began, more than double the losses of merchant tonnage that had fallen upon the United States. On the other hand, the prodigious output of new ships from the United States had for six months past, overtaken and now far surpassed the losses of both the, Allies.

anti-u-boat and air war. Mr. Churchill mentioned, that our killings of U-boats had for this y ear greatly exceeded all our previous experience and in the last three months particularly the last three weeks, had yielded record results. This was to some extent due to the larger number of U-boats, but also to the vast improvement in the severity and power of the measures against, them and the new devices continually employed. Dealing with the air offensive, Mr. Chuchill said opinion was divided as to whether the use of air power could itself bring about a collapse in Germany and Italy . The experiment, was well worth trying, as long as other measures were not excludea. The Prime Minister spoke of the .“unparalleled devastation” to which the German war industry, particularly in the Ruhr was being reduced, and here he revealed that 19 Lancasters had taken part in the destruction of the great dams, with the loss of eight. This success would plav a very, far-reaching part in reducing the'German munitions output It was the Settled policy of our two staffs and war-making authorities to make it impossible for Germany to carry on any form of war industry on a large of concentrated scale either in Germany or Italy, or enemy-occupied countries. "Whereever centres exist, or are developed, they will be destroyed and munitions and populations dispersed. Laughter greeted his statement: it they don’t like what’s coming to them, let them disperse beforehand on their own.” The process will continue ceaselessly with ever increasing weight and intensity until the German and Italian peoples have abandoned or destroyed the monstrous tyrannies they incubated ana reared in their midst. Meanwhile, the air offensive is forcing Germany to withdraw an ever larger proportion of its warmaking capacity f rom the fighting fronts in order to provide protection against air attack. Phenomenal resources have already been assigned to this purely defensive function. , x rto Returning to the subject of Japan, Mr Churchill said: “It is all agreed between us that we should at the earliest moment bring our joint air power to bear upon military targets in the homeland of Japan. It is a duty of those charged with the direction of the war to overcome at the earliest moment the military, geographical and political difficulties, and begin the process as necessary .and desirable of laying the cities and other military centres* in Japan in ashes, —for in ashes, they must surely lie before peace comes back to the world.” The British would participate in this harmonious accord with the major strategy of war.

DIRECT ACTION AGAINST ENEMY. Speaking more generally, said Mr Churchill, the prime problem was not so much the creation of armies, or vast output of munitions and aircraft, but the application of those forces to the enemy in the teeth ol U-boat resistance, or on land through swamps, mountains, and jungles in various quarters of the globe. “Our war plans,’’ he said, “must therefore be inspired, pervaded, and even, dominated by the supreme object of coming to grips with the enemy in favourable or tolerable conditions on the largest possible scale at the earliest possible moment, and engaging that enemy, wherever profitable, and I might say, wherever possible to do so. Thus, we shall make our enemies in Europe and Asia burn and consume their strength on land, sea. and in the air with the maximum rapidity.’’ Commenting on Mr Roosevelt’s dual office of President and Com-mander-in-Chief, —following the precedent which had been successful in the case of George Washington—Mr Churchill caused .amusementi when he said: “I as majority leader in the Commons, and in one branch of legislature, have been drawn from time to time, not perhaps, wholly against my will, into support in military affairs.” In modern war, it is necessary that the technical and professional authorties should be sustained, and the policy directed by the heads of governments, who had the knowledge to enable them to bring not only military but economic forces to work. “These are reasons that compelled the President to make the long journey to Casablanca, and the reasons that bring me here. We earnestly hope at no' distant date we may have the opportunity to meet Stalin and Chiang Kai-Shek. How or when, is not a matter in which I am able to shed any clear ray of light at present. Meantime, we do our best to keep the closest association between all authorities of the countries engaged in active direction of war. and it is my steadfast duty to promote this intimacy and concert between all parts of the Empire and the Dominions.” , . The Prime Minister spoke of the North-west Africa campaign—“this classic example of the way to make war.” He recalled how, last .Tune, when in America, he heard of the utterly unexpected fall of Tobruk. In that “dark, bitter hour” he was sustained by “the kindness, delicacy and true comradeship” shown to him by Americans. Their only thought was to restore the situation. Hundreds or Sherman tanks were taken from American divisions and sent with the utmost speed to Egypt. The Sherman was the best in the desert in 1942. North-west Africa was a most encouragincr example of what could be achieved by British and Americans working together with heart and hand. In fact, one might almost feel, if they could keep it up, tnere was hardly anything they could not do, either in the field of war or in the no less perplexing problems of. peace. After sketching the successful strategy of this campaign, the Prime Minister added: “We have secured bases from which violent attacks can and will be delivered by our air power on the whole of Italy with results which no one can measure, but which will most certainly be highly beneficial to our war economy, and a relief to our strained and straitened shipping position. We have several hundreds of great ships which give us the advantage of far speedier passage through the Mediterranean to the Middle and Far East. W? struck the enemy a blow equal to Stalingrad, and most stimulating to our heroic Russian allies. Still, I am free to admit that in North l Africa we ‘builded better than we l knew.’ The unexpected came to the

aid of the design, and multiplied the results For this we have to thank the military mind of Corporal Hitler. n Mr Churchill referred to the German claim that Axis Troops had by resistance delayed the executing 01. Allied plans, and saitf: “Our operations, which we will unfold in due course, depending as they do on special instruments, large numbers of troops, and the. assembling of masses of technical equipment, have not been in any way delayed by the fighting in Northern Tunisia. Mr President, the African war is over. Mussolini’s African Empire and Corporal Hitler’s strategy alike are exIn a survey of Axis losses he said that the African excursions of rhe two Dictators cost their countries in killed and captured 950,000 soldiers, nearly 2,400,000 gross tons of shipping sunk, and nearly 80000 aeroplanes destroyed, exclusive of large numbers damaged. There had been lost tn the enemy 6200 guns, 2550 tanKs, and 70,000 trucks. Their proud African Army, by the sudden collapse and crumbling and' breaking up, nad once again proved the truth of the saying that the Hun is always either ft your throats or at your feet. We can say we have arrived at this milestone of the war —one continent relieved. Mr. Churchill revealed that the 2nd American Corps had to be moved 300 miles from the southern sector to the northern coast, to a position from which is could advance and attacx Eizerta. In order to accomplish this march, which was covered in 12 days, it was necessary to traverse at right angles all communications of the British First Army, which was engaged, or about to be engaged, in heavy battle This was achieved without in any', way disturbing the hour-to-hour supply unon which that Army deP e “The're is honour for all,” he said “and I shall, at the proper time and place, pa ir my tributes to the British and American Commanders on land, air, and sea who were engaged. This only will I say now. Ido not think you could have chosen any man more capable than General Eisenhower. . x . “Our thanksgiving must be brief. Heavier work lies ahead not only m Europe, but in the Pacific and Indian spheres,” he declared. “President Roosevelt and I and our combined staffs are gathered here in order that this work shall be well conceived and thrust forward without losing a "day."

RUSSIA’S BIG ROLE. In a tribute to Russia; Mr. Churchill said: “Not for one moment must we forget that the main burden of the war on land is still being borne by, the Russians. The 190 German and 28 satellite divisions that the Russians are holding on their front compare with the equivalent of about 15 divisions which we destroyed in Tunisia, in a campaign which cost, the Allies about 50,000 casualties. That gives sorne measure of the Russian effort and the debt we owe her.” Mr. Churchill expressed confidence that Hitler’s expected third desperate throw against Russia would not succeed, and added that Russia had already inflicted injuries to the German military organisation which would ultimately prove mortal. “We must do everything in our power that is sensible and practicable to take more of the weight off Russia in 1943. I do not intend to be responsible tor any suggestion that the war is won or will soon be over.' That it will be won by us I am sure, but how and when cannot be forseen. still Jess foretold.”

The Premier emphasised that we could not afford to relax to the slightest degree, that the enemy was still proud and powerful, that the war was full of mysteries and surprises, and that “a 1 false step in the wrong direction of strategic effort, discord, or lassitude among the Allies might soon give the common enemy power to confront us with new, hideous facts.”

Finally, Mr. Churchill stressed the grave dangers of a long war. it was in the dragging out of the war at enormous expense till the democracies got tired and bored or split that the main hones of Germany and Japan now resided. “We must destroy this hope as we have destroyed so many others,” he added.

REACTIONS IN BRITAIN. (Rec. 5 p.m.) LONDON, Mav 19. The country listened to Mr. Churchill’s speech with, if possible, even greater interest than his previous ones, partly in the hope of light upon imminent Allied plans, but perhaps mainly under the influence of confirmation of its confidence following the victory in North Africa and the R.A.F.’s exploit in mining the dams. Mr. Churchill’s flashes of humour were appreciated, but it is recognised that the real value of the speech was its wide survey, and more was not really to be expected at the present juncture. Most editorials stress Mr. Churchill’s pledge that Britain will participate fully in the task of smashing Japan. The “Daily Telegraph” says: “It was most reassuring to know from Mr. Cnurchill that victory in Africa came soon enough not to delav th'e execution of our further plans.”

Washington Talks RUSSIAN AIR BASES DISCUSSED. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn 1 (Rec. 11.15.) LONDON, May 20. Some diplomatic observers in Washington believe that Britain and Am- | erica may try to prevail on M. Stalin I to grant use of Russian air bases for I an onslaught on the Japanese. These ■ sources say that this may well be the purpose of the proposed meeting between President Roosevelt, Mr. Churchill, M. Stalin, and General Chiang Kai Shek. The same sources also emphasise that Mr. Churchill’s statement about the bombing of Ja'pan “holds high place” in the cur- ■ rent talks. Mr. Churchill yesterday engaged in a ninety minute secret discussion with Members of the Senate _ and House Foreign Relations Committees and also Party leaders. The discussion is reported to have covered a great many subjects, with Mr. Churchill frankly answering all ques- . tions put to him.