BRITAIN DECLARES WAR

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21599, 9 December 1941, Page 5

BRITAIN DECLARES WAR

MR CHURCHILL’S STATEMENT NOTE SENT TO JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WANTON ACTS OF UNPROVOKED AGGRESSION (Official Wireless) (Received Dec. 9, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, December 8 A statement was *nade by the Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, in a sp^ially-summoned session of Parliament this afternoon, on tne situation which has arisen as a result of Japan’s declaration of war. After recalling the pledge he made a month ago that should the United States be involved in war with Japan a British declaration of war would follow within an hour, Mr Churchill said he had therefore spoken to President Roosevelt last night by telephone, with a view to arranging the the timing of the respective declarations.

“The President told me,” said Mr Churchill, “that he would this morning sent a message to Congress, which alone can make a declaration of war on behalf of the United States. I answered him that we would follow immediately. However, it soon appeared that British territory in Malaya had been attacked and later it was announced in Tokio that the Japanese High Command—not the Imperial Japanese Government —had declared that a state of war existed between them and Great Britain and the United States.

“That being so, there was no need to await the declaration by Congress. The Cabinet, which met at 12.30 today, therefore authorised the immediate declaration of war upon Japan. Instructions to this effect were sent to the British Ambassador at Tokio.”

International Law Violated

“A communication was despatched to the Japanese Charge d’Affaires to this effect:—‘Sir, on the evening of December 7 the British Government learned that Japanese forces, without previous warning either in the form of a declaration of war or an ultimatum, had attempted a landing on the coast of Malaya and bombed Singapore and Hongkong, In view of these wanton acts of unprovoked aggression, committed in flagrant violation of international law and particularly Article 1 of the Hague War Convention, relative to the opening of hositilities, to which both Japan and Great Britain are parties, the British ambassador at Tokio has been instructed to Inform ibe Imperial Japanese Government, In the name of His Majesty’s Government, that a state of war exists between the two countries.’ “Meanwhile hostilities had already begun. The Japanese began a landing on British territory in northern Malaya about 6 o’clock (1 a.m., local time) yesterday, and were immediately engaged by our forces, which were in readiness.” Netherlands and Thailand The Netherlands Minister, said Mr Churchill, had informed the Foreign Office at 3 a.m. that his Government was informing the Japanese Government that in view of the latter’s hostile acts against the two Powers with which the Netherlands maintained particularly close relations a state of war now existed between the two countries. “I do not know yet what part Thailand will be called on to play in this fresh war,” said Mr Churchill, “but a report has reached us that Japan lias landed troops at Singora, in Siamese territory, not far from the landing which they have made on the British side of the frontier. “Meanwhile, just before Japan had gone to war with Thailand, I had sent the Premier of Thailand the following message: ‘There is a possibility of an immense Japanese invasion of your country. If you are attacked, defend yourselves. The preservation of the full sovereignty of Thailand is a British interest, and we shall regard an attack on you as an attack on ourselves.’ ” Japanese Treachery Referring to the circumstances of Japan’s attack, Mr Churchill said: “They have borne every characteristic of Japanese treachery. The Japanese envoys had been ordered to prolong their missions in Washington while a surprise attack was being prepared. “No one can doubt that every effort to bring about a peaceful solution had been made by the United States Government and that immense patience and composure had been shown in face of the growing Japanese menace. “Now that the issue is joined in the most direct manner, it only remains for the two great democracies to iacr, their task wiih whatever strength God may give them.” Referring to the possibility of a Japanese attack on Britain ever since Dunkirk, Mr Churchill said: “So precarious and narrow was the margin upon which we then lived that we did not dare express sympathy with China. We all along felt for the heroic people of China. We were-, even forced for a short time in the' summer of 1940 to agree to the closing of the Burma Road, but later, at the beginning of this year, as soon as we could regather our strength, we reversed our policy, and both I and the Foreign Secretary have felt able to make an increasingly outspoken declaration of friendship for the Chinese people and their great leader, Marshal Chiang Kai-shek.” “We have always been friends. Last mght I cabled the Generalissimo assuring him that henceforward we face a common foe together, althoughthe imperative demands of the war in Europe and Africa have strained our resources, vast' and growing though they r re. Royal Navy Ready “The House and Empire will notice that some of the finest ships in the Royal Navy have reached their stations in the Far East at a very convenient moment. Every preparation on our part has been made and I do not doubt that we shall give a good account of ourselves. The closest accord has been established with the powerful American forces, both naval and air, and also with the strong and efficient forces of the Netherlands East Indies. “When we think of the insane ambition and insatiable appetite which have caused this vast extension of the

war we can only feel that Hitler’s madness has infected the Japanese minds and that the root of the evil and its branches must be exterminated together. It is of the highest importance that there should be no underrating the gravity of the dangers we have to meet, either here or in the United States. The enemy has attacked with audacity which may spring from recklessness but which may also spring from conviction of strength. “The ordeal to which the Englishspeaking world and our heroic Russian allies are being exposed will certainly be hard, especially at the outset, and will probably be long. Yet when we look round the sombre panorama of the world we have no reason to doubt the justice of our cause or that our strength and willpower will be sufficient to sustain it. “We have at least four-fifths of the population of the world on our side. We are responsible for their safety and their future.

“In the past we had a light which flickers; in the present we have a light which flames; in the future there will be a light which shines over all the land and sea.”