THE WAR REVIEWED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 225, 21 August 1940, Page 7

THE WAR REVIEWED

MR CHURCHILL’S CONFIDENCE “ WILL REACH JOURNEY’S END ” BRILLIANT, STATESMANLIKE SPEECH [(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright.) (JBritish Official Wireless.) • Received August 21, 12.50 p.m. RUGBY, Aug. 20. The Prime Minister (Mr Winston Churchill) to-day. delivered his anticipated speech in the House of Commons—a speech which not only stamped his statesmanship, but must convey to the whole Empire a fitting review of the war as it now proceeds, its implications, and the measures Britain has taken to defeat the Nazi menace. Mr Churchill touched on many subjects, reaffirming the. fact that Britain’s military programme envisages a campaign extending into 1941 and 1942; declaring that the blockade of Germany and enemy-controlled territory would not be lifted;.and announcing an offer to the United States to lease bases in British territory across the Atlantic for 99 years for'air and naval defence. ! “The-road to victory may' not be so long as we expect, but we have no right to count upon this. Be it long or short, rough or smooth, we mean to reach our journey’s end, announced Mr Churchill, in affirming that the nation was stronger than ever before. ,' LEASE OF BASES. ' “ ~7

In the final passages of his speech, which lasted nearly 50 minutes and was frequently loudly cheered, Mr Churchill dealt with the lease of bases to the United States. He pointed out that Britain had to think not only for herself, but for the lasting security of the cause and principles for Which she was lighting. Some ■ months ago, said the Prime Minister, the British Government came to the conclusion that the interests of the United States and the British Empire both required that the United States should have facilities for the naval and air defence of the Western Hemisphere against attack by a Nazi Power which acquired temporary but lengthy control of a large part of Western Europe and its resources. The Government, therefore, had decided spontaneously, without asking or being offered an inducement, to inform the United States Government. that it would gladly place such defence facilities at the disposal of the United States by leasing suitable sites in British trans-At-lantic possessions. Mr Churchill recalled that the principle of the’association of interests for common purposes, between Britain and the United-States had developed even before- the war in various agreements reached about certain small islands in the Pacific Ocean which had become important air fuelling points.

unexpected blows. The road to victory may not be so long as we expect, but we have no right to count upon this. Be it long or short, rough or smooth, we mean to reach our journey’s end.” SURE OF OURSELVES. Regarding the “cataract of disaster” which had poured out upon the Allies since the new Government was formed in mid-May, Mr Churchill said: “If we had been confronted at the beginning of May with such a prospect it would have seemed incredible that at this point of the period of horror and disaster we should stand erect, sure of ourselves, masters of our fate, and with the conviction of final victory burning unquenchable in our hearts. Few would have believed we could survive. None would have believed we should today not only feel stronger, but should actually be stronger than we have ever been before.

“Let us see what has happened: The British nation, and the British Empire, finding themselves alone, stood undismayed against disaster. No one flinched or wavered—Nay! Some who formerly thought of peace now think only of war. Our people are united and resolved as they have never been before. Death and ruin become small things compared with shame, del eat, or failure in duty. “It may be that even greater ordeals lie before us. AVe will face whatever is coming. AVe are sure of ourselves and our cause. Here is the supreme fact. Meanwhile we have not only fortified our hearts, but our island. HELP FROM AMERICA. “We have rearmed and rebuilt our armies in a degree which had been deemed impossible a few months ago. AVe have ferried across the Atlantic, thanks to our friends over there, an immense mas of munitions of all kinds —cannon, rifles, machine-guns, cartridges, shells, —all safely landed with--out the loss of a gun or a round, the output of our own factories, working as they have never worked before, has poured forth. “A vast British Army is at home. More than two million determined men have rifles and bayonets in their hands to-night, and three-quarters of them are in regular military formations. The whole island bristles against invaders from sea or air.” SEAS ARE OPEN. “Our Navy is far stronger than at the beginning of the war,” declared the Prime Minister. “The great flow of new construction set on foot at the ■outbreak is now beginning to come in. We hope our friends across the ocean will send us timely reinforcements to bridge the gap between the peace flotillas of 1939 and the war flotilla*, of 1941. “The seas and oceans are open. The U-boats are contained. The magnetic mine is mastered. Merchant tonnage under the British Flag, after a year of unlimited Üboat warfare, after eight months’ intensive mining attack—is larger than when we began. We have, in addition, under our control four million tons of shipping from captive countries which has taken refuge here or in the harbours of the Empire.

SOVEREIGNTY REMAINS. “We learned that anxiety was felt in the United States about the air and naval defence of their Atlantic seaboard, and Mr Roosevelt made it clear that he would like to discuss with us, and Canada and Newfoundland, the development of American naviil and air facilities in Newfoundland and the West Indies,’’ said Mr Churchill. “There is, of course, no question of any transference of sovereignty or any action being taken against -the wishes of the various colonies concerned, but for our part the British Government are entirely willing to accord defence facilities to the United States on a 99 years’ leasehold basis, and we feel sure our interests, no less than theirs, and the interests of the colonies themselves, Canada and Newfoundland, will be served thereby.” CASUALTIES TO DATE Tho Premier had begun with a comparison of the character of this and the last war. Last time men fought by hurling masses of steel at one another. This was a conflict of strategy, organisation, technique, science, mechanics and morale. The British casualties in tho first year of the Great War were 365,000. The first year of this war was drawing to a close and the British killed, ■wounded, prisoners and missing, including civilians, numbered about 92 000, of which a large proportion were prisoners. Throughout all Europe for one man killed and wounded in the last twelve months perhaps five were killed and wounded in 1914-15.

“The slaughter is hut a fraction, but 'the consequences to the belligerents have been even more deadly, said Mr Churchill. “We have seen great countries with powerful armies clashed out of cohei'ent existence in a few weeks Wo have seen the French Republic and the renowned French Army beaten into complete and total submission with less than the casualties they suffered in any one of half-a-dozen battles or 1914-18. ‘ . . ... “Moves are made upon the scientific and strategic boards, advantages are g-pined by mechanical means as a icsyit of which scores of millions ol men "become incapable of further resistance, or judge themselves incapable of iuithcr resistance, and the fearful game of chess proceeds from check to mate by which the unhappy players seem to be inexorably bound.” PREPARATION FOR LONG WAR. But Mr Churchill thought this new type of war, in which the .entire population fought, was well-suited to the British genius. Nurtured _ in freedom and individual responsibility and with united will, the British people would give a better account of themselves b - cause they were riot tho products o totalitarian uniformity, but or toieiance and variety.

“Our stocks of food of all kinds are many times greater than in the days of peace.” SUCCESS IN THE AIR. The Premier came next to the air battles of the last few days, in which the.course of the fighting had so far been most favourable to Britain. “Greater efforts may yet be made by the enemy than any lie has so far put forth,” said Mr Churchill. “Hostile airfields are still being developed in France and the Low Countries, and the movement of squadron material for attacking us' is still proceeding. Hitler could not admit defeat in his air attack on Britain without most serious injury. , “If, after all these boastings, and blood-curdling threats, and the lurid accounts trumpeted round the world of the damage he has inflicted and of the vast numbers of our Air Force he has shot down —so, lie says, with so little loss to himself—after the tales ot panic-stricken British crouched in their holes, cursing the plutocratic Government which has led them to such a plight, his whole air onslaught were forced tamely to peter out, the Fuehrer’s reputation for veracity ol statement might be seriously impugned. We inay be sure, therefore, he will continue as long as he has strength and as long as any preoccupations he may have in respect of' Russian air force allow him to do so.’ Germany’s numerical superiority in the air remained, but in view of the fact that production in Britain already

Hitler was now sprawled over. Europe, hut the British offensiv springs were being slowly cornpressei , and Britain was, resolutely and methodically preparing herself to campaigns of next year and they after. Many opportunities would lie open to an amphibious P?"' 01 ‘‘One of the ways to Fringrihe war to a speedy end,” Mr Churchill added “is to convince the enemy J V deeds that we have both the will and the moans not only to definitely, but to strike heavy and

largely exceeded German production, and American production was only just .beginning to flow in, it would not continue. “We sball be ablo to continue the struggle indefinitely, and as long as the enemy pleases—and the longer it continues the more rapid will be our approach, first, towards, that parity and then into that superiority in' the ail- upon which, in large measure, the decision of the war depends,” declared Mr Churchill. BLOCKADE TO CONTINUE. Dealing with the blockade, Mr Churchill said: “It is our intention to maintain and enforce a strict blockade, not only of Germany, but of Italy, France, and all other countries that have fallen into the German power. I have read that Hitle,r has also proclaimed a strict blockade of the British Isles. No one can complain of that. AVliat. indeed, would be a matter of general complaint would be if we were to prolong the agony for all of Europe by allowing food to go in to nourish the Nazis and their war effort, or allow food to go in to the subjugated peoples which would certainly be pillaged by their Nazi conquerors. “There have been many proposals founded on the highest motives that food should he allovved to pass the blockade for the relief of these populations. I regret we must refuse these requests. “The Nazis are boasting that they have created a new, unified economy in Europe. They hare repeatedly stated that they possess ample food reserves and can feed their captive pennies. In a German broadcast on June 27 it was said that while Mr Herbert Hoover’s plan for relieving France, Belgium, and Holland deserved commendation, the German forces had already taken the necessary steps. “AVe kuow that in Norway, when the German troops went in, there were food supplies to last for years. We know that Poland, though not a rich country, has usually produced sufficient food for her people. Moreover, the other countries which Hitler has invaded all held considerable stocks when the Germans entered, and arc themselves very substantial foodproducers. REMOVED BY NAZIS.

“If -all this food is not available now, it can only be because it lias been removed to feed the people of Germany and give them increased rations during the last few months,” declared the Premier. “The only agencies which can create famine in any part of Europe during the coming winter will be the German exactions or German failure to distribute the supplies they command.

“Many of the most valuable foods are essential to the manufacture <A vital war materials. If the Germans use these commodities to help them bomb our women and children rather than feed the populations who produce them wo may he sure that any imported food would go the same way or lie employed to relieve the enemy of the responsibilities lie has assumed.

“Let Hitler hear his responsibilities to the full. Let the people of !surope who groan beneath his yoke aid in every way the coming of the day when it will ho broken. Meanwhile, ivb can arrange in advance for tho speedy entry of food into the enslaved areas when they have been cleared of the German forces awl have genuinely regained their freedom. AVe shall encourage the building up of food reserves all over the world so that there -will always he held out before the eyes of the peoples of Europe —including the German and Austrian peoples—the certainty that tho shattering of the Nazi power will bring them immediate food, freedom and peace.” ._i TRIBUTES TO AIRMEN. sod i- Air Churchill paid, eloquent tributes ,to tho It.A.F. —to tho fighter pilots, and to the bomber squadrons who, travelling far into-Germany, inflicted shattering blows upon the whole technical warmaking structure in the Nazi power. “We are able to verify the results of the bombing of military targets in Germany, not only by the reports which reach us through many sources, but also by photography. I have no hesitation in saying that this process of bombing military industries and the communications of Germany, and air bases, and storage depots from which we are attacked, which will continue unon an ever increasing scale until tho end of the war, and may, in another year, attain dimensions hitherto undreamed of, affords one of the surest, if not the shortest, of all roads to victory. “Even if the Nazi legions stood, triumphant on the Black Sea, or indeed upon the Caspian, even if Hitler was at the gates of India, it profit him nothing if at the same time the entire economic and scientific apparatus of German war power lay shattered. and pulverised at home,” added the Prime Minister.