TASKS NOT YET OVER

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25202, 15 May 1945, Page 5

TASKS NOT YET OVER

MR CHURCHILL REVIEWS EVENTS LONDON, May 13 Mr Churchill's broadcast speech to the Empire tonight, reviewing the war and marking his completion of five years as Prime Minister, for the most part recounted the events of the last five years, from the time he formed the National Government to the end of the war in Europe, says the British official wireless. The Prime Minister recalled that the Germans overran all Europe and referred to July, August and September, 1940, when 40 or 50 squadrons of fighter aircraft broke the teeth of the attacking German aircraft at odds of seven or eight to one against the British. "Never before in the history of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few," he said, repeating the words he used at the end of that great battle. Looking to the future, the Prime Minister said: "I wish I could tell you tonight that all our toils and troubles were over. Then, indeed, I could end my reign and cease fire happily, and, if you thought you had had enough of me and that I ought to be put to grass, I assure you I would take it with the best of grace. But, on the contrary, I must warn you, as I did when I began this five years' task—and no one knew that it would last so long— that there is still a lot to do and that you must be prepared for further sacrifices to great causes if you are not to fall back into the rut of inertia, confusion of aim and craven fear of being great."