RED PRESSURE WEAKER

Southland Times, Issue 24055, 20 February 1940, Page 5

RED PRESSURE WEAKER

SEA POWER OF BRITAIN

Navy Prepared For Nazi Treachery GERMAN METHODS CONDEMNED (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, February 18. The Minister for Co-ordination of Defence (Admiral of the Fleet Lord Chatfield), in a speech at Cardiff reviewed the war effort at sea, in the air and on the land. “Let us remember,” he said, “that the British Empire was built up by sea power and as long as we keep the sea command we shall hold the Empire. Germany also realizes the importance of our sea power, so she is endeavouring to destroy us at sea. Unable to challenge us with surface ships, she tried, and is still trying, to destroy our commerce and that of the neutral countries by the illegal use of torpedo, mine and bomb. When Germany decides on a course of action she thinks will give her an advantage, no sense of law or humanity is allowed one minute’s consideration. In the last war it took two years for her rulers to decide on what was called unrestricted warfare against unarmed merchant ships. This time they started immediately as they knew they would be able to sink many ships before they were defensively armed or convoys were organized in a carefully calculated way. “They tore up the treaties they had signed since the last war; to do so meant nothing to their present rulers, who, we cannot doubt, would equally tear up any other treaties anyone might be unwise to sign with them in the future if to do so would give them a needed advantage and surprise their victims. “This practice of murder on the high seas is a typical German invention, never heard of, except by pirates and buccaneers, before Germany had a navy,” Lord Chatfield continued. INDISCRIMINATE SINKING “Then there is the indiscriminate sinking of neutral and merchant ships, 119 having been sunk, totalling nearly 350,000 tons, of whch nearly half have been deliberately torpedoed. “Fortunately, our Navy was well prepared for this treachery. It has sunk German surface ships that have ventured to sea; and the German submarine fleet is reduced by half and will, I believe, continue to be destroyed at a greater rate than she can add to it. We shall equally liquidate, or shall we say ‘purge’ the • sea of her mine-

fields. But Germany is a crafty, vicious foe and we shall have many losses as well and must not let them dismay us.” Referring to the war in the air, Lord Chatfield said: “I am convinced that our air policy has been correct and wise. We have gained valuable time to build up our strength for attack and for the defence of these islands, and we shall bring our great and evergrowing air strength into play at the right instant. “Meanwhile, the Army is preparing to play the great part that undoubtedly awaits it. Today we have under training alone more than 1,000,000 men.” After speaking of the generous share contributed by the Dominions, colonies and India to the British effort, Lord Chatfield referred to the progress of the gigantic task of providing the powerful and complicated arms and munitions for all these forces. He re-

ferred in particular to the important contribution made in this regard by Wales. “Let us make no mistake about our task,” he concluded. “We have to defeat an enemy that for many years has spent its whole effort in preparing for war, an enemy that is highly efficient and cunning and has forcibly unified his people in support of his evil intentions. It is difficult to continue the fight with our natural spirit of chivalry against an enemy who acts with the mentality of a tiger.”