SURVEY
"The Quiet Calm Before The Storm"
PREMIER'S WAR MANSION HOUSE SPEECH
London, To-day.
SPEAKING AT THE MANSION House last evening, the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, said the New Year, which would probably be a fateful one in the history of the world, had open- ed quietly but it was the quiet calm before the
storm.
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"It is only on sea that the war may be said to be in full operation, and it is on the sea that we can discern most clearly the trend of hostilities in the first four months of war.'
Dealing with the first four months efficiency they should not hesitate to of the war at sea, Mr. Chamberlain add to the rationing list if the ne- said the result was not unsatisfac- cessity became acute. tory.
The Germans had lost by capture and sinking, and above all by scuttl- ing, 228,000 tons, and the rest of their shipping was either bottled foreign ports or confined to the Baltic. Attacks upon our fleet had up to now produced but meagre results.
up
"It wo substract from our losses by enemy action or ordin- ary marine casualties our gains by by capture from the enemy, new ships or transfers from for. eign flags, we have lost up to date 122,000 tone less than one per cent. of the merchant fleet we possess.
INEXORABLE PRESSURE
PROGRAMME OF CONQUEST
PREMIER SILENT ON CABINET SHUFFLE
London,. To-day. Mr. Neville Chamberlain dis- appointed expectations · In his speech at the Mansion House last evening.
Although he spoke for 55 min- utes he made no reference `by name to the resignation of Mr. Hore - Bejisha.-Reuter.
which members of the War Cabinet are addressing the people directly.
The Prime Minister referred to his own dedication to victory.
After a brief allusion to his own efforts to avert war, Mr. Chamber- lain declared in ringing tones: "Since that day when war was declared my
all
my actions have been directed to one purpose only, namely to do all I could, in the closest conjunction with our daunt less French allies, to bring this war to a successful conclusion.
Mr. Chamberlain said: “It has be- come increasingly clear that the Ger- sole thoughts and in
man Government had long planned | successive stages in a programme of conquest, and that its appetite grows by what it feeds upon.
"To-day the members of that Government do not hesitate to say that they desire to achieve the ruin of the British Empire, and no doubt they would rejoice If they could treat us as they are treating the victims who already within their grasp. "We on our side have vindictive designs.
are
no such
"To that end I have subordinated everything else all thought of rest or relaxation, partial affections, to use the words of the daily prayer in the House of Commons-all personal feelings and considerations whatso-
ever.
with cheers which bespoke their own readiness to shoulder the bur- dens of which the Premier spoke frankly in the later passages of his speech.
In that part of his speech directed to events abroad, in which he de- nounced the unprincipled attack on Finland, Mr. Chamberlain summed up his view in the following words: "When I looked beyond the boundar- les of this country I cannot fail to ob- serve how easily and how rapidly these evil things of which I have spoken before spread unless they are checked.
"Germany used brute force upon un- happy Poland, and to-day we can see how she is treating the Poles and Czechs, exploiting their resources, car- rying off their food, starving and shoot- ing their people, tearing them and up- rooting them from their homes in or- der to make way for Germans who in their turn have been forced to leave | lands where they and their families
had been settled for generations."
HOPEFUL POSSIBILITIES
But, given an Allied victory, he saw hopeful possibilities in the outcome of Anglo-French co-operation which had already been the subject of observa- tions by the French Premier.
Mr. Chamberlain said: "It might even develop into something even wider and deeper, because there is nothing which would do more to facil- itate the task of peaceful reconstruc- tion which has got to be undertaken sometime.
of
"There is nothing which would con- tribute more towards the permanence of its results than an extension Anglo-French collaboration in finance and economics to other nations in Europe, and indeed perhaps to the whole world.".
The Prime Minister dealt in great detail with the sacrifices which would
"From that purpose, so long as I hold my present office and until the "The German people must realise
war comes to an end, I will not be "The inexorable pressure of sea
in- that the desire of the Allies for a deflected nor will I shirk my
what I power acting on the enemy is pro-social, humane, just and Christian evitable responsibilities in ducing ever increasing difficulties for settlement cannot be satisfied by as- feel to be right, no matter how diffall upon all classes as the war effort her, and its results are not yet visible.surances which experience has prov-ficult or even disagreeable they may
"You have only to examine theed to be worthless. Christmas orations of the German leaders to see what is ever present in their minds."
Referring to Finland, Mr. Cham- berlain said that vallant people could rest assured that our re- sponse to the resolution passed by the League of Nations would be no mere formality.
MOBILISATION
The total number of men who, since the introduction of compulsory military service, had been registered or become liable to be called up un- der proclamation, amounted to tween 2,500,000 and 2,750,000.
be-
The mobilisation of the manpower of the country for military purposes was already on a prodigious scale.
The Prime Minister did not con- sider that the risk of air raids was over, or that it had diminished.
"We should make a capital mis- take if we were to reverse the po licy we have hitherto followed," he declared.
Dealing with taxation, Mr. Chamberlain urged that there should be sacrifices, as there were In totalitarian Germany and the great democracy of France.
THE NAZI TÝRANT
be."
"The methods that are pursued
MANSION HOUSE CHEERS
increased in intensity.
No people was more patriotic than the British or more ready to sacrifice by the Government of Hitler are a The distinguished gathering at the themselves for their principles.-Bri-
Mansion House greeted these words tish Wireless..
standing threat to the independence of every small State in Europe. "They are a constant menace to the moral standard on which the whole of western civilisation is founded.
"Nowhere have they aroused great- er detestation than throughout the continents of North and South Amer- ica.
ROOSEVELT MESSAGE
"In his recent message to the Pope, President Roosevelt declared that only by friendly association between the seekers of light and the seekers of peace everywhere could the forces of evil be overcome.
"I profoundly agree. But t would add that if the forces of right are to prevali we must not hesitate to risk our blood and our treasure for so great an alm.
(Applause).
"In our determination to achieve our purpose we are united ourselves.
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"We are supported by the peoples of the Empire, by the power and resolution of France, and by the moral approval of all who realise that the fate of civilisation is bound up with
our success.
NEW ERA
TAYLOR'S LONDON OLD TOM & DRY GIN.
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"Against such a combination that the powers of wickedness will fight in vain.
"To put it about that the Allies desire the annihilation of the Ger- man people is a fantastic and mall clous invention which can only be put forward for home consumption.” "But we are" at the beginning of
The German people must realise this
era, and we awalt the that the responsibility for prolonga- | future with unshaken confidence in tion of the war and all the suffering the strength of our arms and In the it may bring in the coming year | righteousness of our cause." (Cheers). was theirs as well as the tyrant who
stood over them. (Cheers).
They were planning to add meat to the list of fationed commodities. before long.
While there was no reason to sup pose that the country would be short of anything
for health"
new
Reuter.!
DEDICATION TO VICTORY
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GANDE,
* London, To-day. Chamberlain's speech ina great nation wide campaign.
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