Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1944 KEEPING OUR EYE ON THE BALL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 2 October 1944, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1944 KEEPING OUR EYE ON THE BALL

DURING the war Mr Churchill has never taken his eye off the ball. In this respect, as in a legion of others, he has set a fine example to those who like to indulge their fancies as a relief from the exacting business of concentrating on the main issue—that of winning the war. Sometimes he has been criticised for not looking and planning far enough ahead by those who want to start building a post-war world before the common enerrty has been vanquished. If he refrained from so doing until he could see the tide turning towards victory it was not because he does not enjoy contemplation of the things to come as much as any man, but because he knew that it would be setting a dangerous example. Even now, when the time of decision in Europe is reasonably close, he will not permit himself the luxury of an informed guess about when it will arrive or “exactly what form the death agony of Nazidom will take.” In his House of Commons review the Prime Minister was able to silhouette the present pi. ure against the transformation that has taken place since the foiling of Rommel’s bid for Egypt—almost exactly two years ago. Bringing the camera much closer, he also showed what a change had been wrought on the face of the war in Europe even during the period of the summer recess for ths Commons. All this has been accomplished by planning and action galvanised by a singleness of purpose—the defeat of the enemy—and he does not want to see the successful process impeded by taking our eye off the ball at this late stage. Finish the war and some of the questions which now loom large as knotty

problems will disappear with it or prove easier of solution. That is Church ill’s outlook. While he docs not counsel haste in coming to decisions about the post-war settlement he wants a drive at top speed towards the goal which must be reached before the new vista opens up: I have never been one of those who believe that all the problems of the immediate future can be solved while we are actually engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the German and Nazi power and when the development of the war against Japan must increasingly claim first place in the minds of those responsible for the conduct of the war. The shortening of the war would itself be a boon greater than many important acts or legislation could confer. It is easy for hopes to run ahead of events, especially when there has not been a territorial reverse to Allied arms for two years, except the loss of two small Greek islands,, and when we are relishing “a mounting ride to victory without example in history.” That is the time when overconfidence can also make us ride for a fall, not by losing the war, ' but through prolonging it by even a day more than is necessary. Mr Churchill deprecates very much being carried away by premature expectations about the cessation of fighting in Europe because, militarily, there is still much to be done in that theatre. A man with his hand on so many of the controls sees it thus. The men in the front line know only ‘too well that their job is not finished. Mainly on the home front among those civilians whose imaginations can leap lightly over difficulties that bar the path of powerful armies are to be found the super-optimists who gladly seize any excuse to take their eye off the ball.