IN DEFENCE OF ENGLAND

Southland Times, Issue 24675, 21 February 1942, Page 5

IN DEFENCE OF ENGLAND

NEW YORK, February 19.

The New York Post's noted columnist, Miss Dorothy Thompson, in a stirring article today relies to critics of Britain over Singapore. “Yes, I read Cecil Brown and so did Goebbels. He is quoting him all over the place. Yes, I know the show in Singapore was not so good. Yes, I know they did not follow the scorched earth policy. You can’t feel worse about it than I did. Just the same, I can’t stand cackling. Who is calling whom names? We talked a year and a-half ago with a German agent in his office —the America First Committee is riddled with Nazi agents—about whether this was our war. The British supported us in the Far East—not we the British. Do 'you remember Pearl Harbour? Have you heard the British say a word against Americans? Did they crow over Pearl Harbour? Did they rush into print to talk about our smugness and complacency?' You don’t know what England means, my friend. England is very tired and England is old; yet, though it slay me, I tell you this England is the last refuge of civilized souls. In the hour of her greatest distress and her greatest disaster I, an American, I write these lines to England and I say to England: In spite of Singapore I sing with you, ‘Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,’ and I sing with you, ‘There’ll always be an England, and England will be free.’ ”