MIXED REACTIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 27 May 1944, Page 3

MIXED REACTIONS

MR CHURCHILL'S SPEECH NEWSPAPER APPROVAL AND CRITICISM London, May 25. The first reactions to Mr Churchill s speech on foreign policy in the House of Commons would appear to be rather mixed. "The Times,” after reviewing with approval various points, made the comment: "It is primarily European in scope—the restriction is justified not only by the present critical hour in the European war, but the peculiar position which Europe must occupy in any future scheme of security.” The "Daily Telegraph” believes it "will do or ought to do two things, namely, show what is the touchstone of our relations with other countries and show our soldiers what they are fighting for.” The "Daily Express” is satisfied, saying: "No one can say after this masterly survey that Mr Churchill lacks polipy,” which it sees as: (1) to win the war in such a thorough fashion that the military power of Germany and Japan will no longer be a constraint on free expression of the will of mankind. (2) To develop the British Empire from the core of the agreement revealed at the conference of its Prime Ministers. (3) To set up a new world assembly purged of the weaknesses of the old League of Nations and based not on the balance of power but the unity of power of the great nations. “CONFIDENT SURVEY” The "News Chronicle” sees the speech as a “survey full of confidence,” and says Mr Churchill had "some useful things to say on world organisation.” It adds that several passages will require a most critical scrutiny and suggests that Mr Churchill went a long way out of his way to praise General Franco. “He even deemed it worth his while to gibe twice at those who still have memories long enough to remember how that great Christian gentleman brought in hirelings of Fascism to use the bloody fields of Spain as a practice ground against the democratic Spanish people.”

It is on this question of General Franco that the "Daily Herald” has fastened, saying “The most remarkable feature of the speech was the flattering, almost in a fulsome tone, references to the rulers of Spain. He talks of the Franco Government as if it had been for years past a warm and considerate friend of the United Nations, always on the lookout for some way of doing democracy a good turn. General Franco’s blatant gestures of sympathy with Hitler are not 4o be forgotten.” The "Daily Herald” finds: “Striking contradictions” with regard to Mr Churchill’s views on Spain and Italy and asks why Mr Churchill made the strange remark: “As the war progresses it has become less ideological in character." The paper inquires: "Was it in order to influence those who find it hard to forget the ideological excesses of General Franco, or was it the Prime Minister’s excuse for his hesitation to express in more than the vaguest outline a British view on the future shape of international organisation?” ”CURIOUSLY UNSATISFACTORY” The “Manchester Guardian” said the speech was "full of illuminating information. but for all that was curiously unsatisfactory. It threw an important light on the British view of the future world organisation, but so far as it exhibited an immediate policy it was one entirely of expediency.” The paper added: “The ordinary man, it is to be feared, will scratch his head when he tries to find a common thread running through Mr Churchill’s references to Turkey, Spain. Greece. Yugoslavia and Poland and above all, France. On Mr Churchill’s suggestion that war has become less ideological, the newspaper says: "It would be interesting to have a thesis developed, for most of us would rather have thought the contrary to be true,”—that while Russia may become more tolerant, the rest of Europe has moved to the left, the results of which can be seen in Yugoslavia, in the Greek forces, in Italy and most clearly in France. "But here the blind spot occurs; except in France the Allies have not in the long run stood obstinately again*?: the trend. Towards France apparently, President Roosevelt and Mr Cordell Hull. U.S. Secretary of State, dictate a policy of coldness which is unjustified by the evidence and is in itself politically dangerous. It is hard to believe that Mr Churchill’s heart was in the laboured phrases with which he attempted to justify our refusal to recognise the French National Committee as the provisional government.”

The "Daily Mail” expresses the opinion that Mr Churchill is taking a commonsense view with Spain, but believes the reason for not recognising the provisional French government is unconvincing and says it is hard to see how any recognition of the Committee would prejudice any subsequent wishes of the French people.—P.A. Special Correspondent.