Lake Wakatip Mail QUEENSTOWN, TUESDAY AUGUST 27 1940. STRONGER THAN EVER

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4482, 27 August 1940, Page 2

Lake Wakatip Mail QUEENSTOWN, TUESDAY AUGUST 27 1940. STRONGER THAN EVER

“WE are stronger than ever wo have been before.’" said the Prime Munster of Britain in opening the House of Commons debate a week ago nr a comprehensive review ol the war. When Mr Winston Churchill makes ins. pronouncements on the war situation the whole world is stirred with enthusiasm by bis summing up which is given in unflinching terms. His latest utterances proved a tonic to all true Britishers the world over as well as other friendly countries. “We have rearmed and rebuilt our armies in a degree which had beau deemed impossible a few months ago. The whole island bristles _ against invaders; .from the sea or air the seas and oceans arc open and the merchant tonnage both neutral and British. is larger than before.,”' said the Prime Minister. Such are only a few of the reassuring statements and they have proved a wonderful uplift to ’millions of peace-loving peoples. Mr Churchill does: not seek to minimise our dangers, but he takes consolation in the fact that Britain's advantages' and resources are enormous. It will be a. Herculean task to subjugate an enemy which, for the time being, holds* such a vast amount of territory and employs formidable weapons* of warfare. However, the time factor is* in our favour, and .no matter how great the sacrifices are. there can be no turning back until tyranny in its very worst form is overthrown and the oppressed nations are once more free to live their own lives. “Everything must .now be subordinated to our task,” said Mr J. M. Macidonnell, one of the commentators fnojm Daventry. It would be indecent to be pursuing our own selfish ends when so many of our fellow citizens l in the armed forces of the Empire are putting everything to the hazard of fate. Our national future is now called in Question and the only way to settle this Question is by victory. The greatest duty of all is to be calm, courageous* and hopeful. The war in the air or the. battle* for Britain has* now been going on for over twio months*, .or' sindc the overthrow of Franco. Hitler’s plans* were to con" elude peace in England on August 15. but during the lapse of* time Britain has- been able to fortify and re-fortify herself against the onslaught of a powerful enemy. The invasions of England by Nazi airmen have availed little so far as- military objectives arc concerned. Wave after wave- of Nazi planes* in. superior numbers have been more than met by the_ B.A.FV and anti-aircraft batteries* which have inflicted losses on the .enemy in a four to one ratio,, and thismnust have convinced the Nazis- that Britain is well able to meet this* “blitzkrieg.” “Our objective .system of defence,” said the Secretary of Air in the House of Commons the other day “comprising fighters, guns, ballons searchlight and observer corps -explains* why the much larger German heavy bomber force is* unable to inflict damage here comparable to the damage we are inflicting on Germany and Italy. Britain, may be said to have won the first round but the Nazi menace in the heart of the Empire still exists and will continue as long as* Germany is. prepared to lose planes, and more particularly, airmen in such colossal numbers. The fact that the manufacture of war material was being so speeded up* as to .almost: heat the clock must surely convince one and all that victory must and will be won. The- assertion of the Beich that the blockade had failed was* only another crude attempt to throw dust in the eyes of the German people. The direct lie is given to this, by the persistent reports of privation a.n.d .starvation that was being enforced on the occupied countries,. Mr Churchill said it was the intention of Britain to maintain and enforce a strict blockade., not only on Germany, but on Italy and France ami all other countries* that have fallen into German power. “W hat ..indeed might be a mailer of general complaint would be if we were to prolong .the ago'iy of all Europe by allowing food To go in to subjugated peoples- which would certainly bo pillaged by their Nazi ''coiumerors*.”

was the sage summing up of the Prime Minister. Hitler’s plans have fallen behind schedule and he must , ma ke a violent attempt to carry them but, but. he must fail,. He will' remember the Nemesis that finally overtook Napoleon for baulking at Boulogne.. He knows, that he cannot assist Gciman ascendancy in Europe while Bntain 1 ies> unreduced on his flank, i MTate-v of attrition, if ever it was open to him, is. so no longer. He must break or be broken . So far the Get man High Command can take no area t encourageme.; 1 1 from the _-i etAUt of (he recent attacks, on Pnta.in. no.i can it claim that it has anything like met the onslaught on Germany and occupied territories that,_ have been inflicted by our gallant airmen. Britain finds herself in a much beltci defensive, shape today than when the evacuation of Dunkirk ceased on June 3. The English Channel is still open, notwithstanding every attempt to close it bv U-boats. “Big Berthas _ and aircraft. Again, we say that the balance is being further- .moved in our favour in daily com bate and though we must, suffer temporary reveroest t*lio« final £o-al will surely be reached. We arc fighting for freedom and will go on to light in spite of all obstacles . A\ e are fighting for a world without deceit or enmity, without greed and lies. If Hitler triumphed then such a world would be impossible for many generations—possibly never.