Foreign Secretary Talks Of Exaggerated Expectations

Northern Advocate, 10 May 1940, Page 5

Foreign Secretary Talks Of Exaggerated Expectations

LONDON, May 9.

The Marquess of Salisbury, in the course of a debate in the House of Lords on Norway today, says there was much in the Prime Minister's speech which was encouraging. He saw signs of initiative, of decision and of a demand for national union.

The Foreign Secretary (Viscount Halifax) said it was impossible for anyone to draw a distinction between the Prime Minister and the other members of the War Cabinet, who shared full responsibility. Claims Could Not be Proved. Replying to Lord Snell’s attack on the Prime Minister, Lord Halifax said he was in no way disposed to appear with the apologetic gesture of a defendant. It was possible to look back and say some other action might have •been better, but that would never be proved. One decisive factor in the withdrawal of the troops was that the Germans prevented the British securing air bases at Trondheim. He was under no temptation to minimise the damage brought to the Allied course as a whole. but the war was going to be won by hard facts, and not by prestige. Neutrals’ Difficulties. Lord Halifax said he thought it true to say that the damage affected by the withdrawal was largely due to exaggerated expectations. He insisted that criticism by neutrals, and of neutrals, should be seen in their proper perspective. He emphasised the extremely difficult position in which neutral States were placed in the greater whirlpool of war. When the 'effects of criticism was to suggest to -the country that its war effort was misconceived and misapplied by those responsible for its direction, then he thought criticism defeated its own end and could only add unnecessarily and unprofitably to the inevitable strain of war.