FUTURE STRATEGY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24085, 2 October 1941, Page 10

FUTURE STRATEGY

INVASION QUESTION HEAVIER FIGHTING IN EAST PROSPECT FOR NEXT SPRING LONDON, Sent. 30 "When we reflect upon the magnitude of modern events compared with the men who have to try to control or cope with them, and the frightful consequences of these events to hundreds of millions, the importance of not making mistakes grows impressively upon my mind," said Mr. Churchill in the House today. according to the British official wireless. For these reasons, he added, he would not attempt to discuss at present tho question of future strategy, which, he said amid laughter, was discussed every day in the newspapers in a vivid man ner. He took as an example the question whether Hitler's preoccupation in Russia should not be taken advantage of to launch an invasion of Europe. The question, he remarked, "had several times occurred to those responsible for the conduct of the war." What Hitler Might Do If he threw out dark hints, none but the enemy would have the advantage; if ho gave cogent reasons which could be ranged on the other side, he was giving gratuitous reassurances to Hitler. "Hitler has said nothing as to his plans since February," said Mr. Churchill. "We are in complete ignorance at this moment of what he is going to do. Wo do not know how far he will attempt to penetrate the vast lands of the Soviet in face of the valiant Russian defence, or how long his people will endure their own calamitous losses; or. again, whether he will decide to stand on the defensive and exploit territories of immense value which he has conquered.

"Should he choose this last, we know not whether he will turn all his vast army southward toward the Valley of the Nile, or if he will attempt to make his way through Spain into North-West Africa, or use the great Continental railways of Europe and the immense chain of airfields to shift bis weight to the West, and assemble an extensive army with all the special craft he has constructed, for an attempted invasion of the British Isles, All Three at Once "It would certainly be within his power, while standing on the defensive in the East, to undertake all three of these hazardous enterprises on a great scale, all together at one time. His only shortage is in the air. "That is a very serious shortage, but for the rest he still retains the initiative —we have not had the force to take it from him. He has the divisions, he lias the weapons, and on the mainland of Europe he has ample means of transportation." These dangers and possibilities, and how best to meet them, were studied day in and day out. All the arguments about them in the public press were considered, as well as every helpful suggestion from any quarter. Dealing with allegations lodged in some quarters that the War Office was building up "a distended, bloated mass of soldiers in this island," Mr. Churchill pointed out that Britain could never have an army comparable in numbers with the Continental armies. "Medium-sised Army" He described the present British Army as "a very good medium-sized army," built up from one of insignificant numbers. It had hard training last winter. It would have hard training again this winter, and its officers had opportunities of handling largescale manoeuvres. It was upon this weapon, supported by 2,000,000 Home Guards, that Britain relied to destroy the invader should he succeed in making a landing ou British shores. "When I learn of the frightful and indescribable atrocities which the German police and troops are committing on the Russian population in the rear of the advance of their armoured vehicles," the Prime Minister added, "the responsibility of His Majesty's Government to maintain here, at home, a high-class force to beat down and annihilate lodgments from the sea or air comes home to me in a particularly significant, ugly and impressive form." Popular Courses He warned critics against the fate which awaited nations or individuals taking easy and popular courses, and said that if he at present were trusted by the masses of the British people it was certainly not because he had followed public opinion in the last few years. "There is only one duty, only oni safe course," he said. "That is to try to do right and not feJtr to do or say what you believe to be right." Turning to Iran, Mr. Churchill said the dictator had been driven into exile and the constitutional Sovereign who had been installed had pledged himself to introduce much-needed reforms which he hoped to present to the House, with a new alliance made by Britain and Russia and the whole Persian State and people. Winter and Spring In the course of his rieech, Mr. Churchill said that only military outposts in Cairo had been bombed. He added that Britain had as much right to bomb Rome as Italy had to bomb London last year. "We should not hesitate to bomb Rome to the best of our ability and as heavily as possible if the course of the war required such action to be convenient and helpful." The winter would remove neither the pressure on Russia nor the danger of invasion to Britain. The spring would see heavier fighting in the East than any yet experienced, and the menace of invasion would be present in a sharp form. "Only the most strenuous exertions and perfect unity of purpose, added to our traditionally unrelenting tenacity." Mr. Churchill concluded, "will enable us to act our part worthily in the prodigious world drama in which we are now plunged. Let. us make sure that those virtues are forthcoming." POLICE DESPATCHED PEEL INTERNMENT CAMP ißrrd 6Ji» p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 1 Police have left London to take up duties at the Peel internment camp in the Isle of Man. Three Irish Republican Army internees have been arrested, it being alleged that they were concerned in the construction of the tunnel by which three Fascists escaped.