THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 9, 1940.
DEBATE IN THE LORDS Lord Strabolgi Critical Of Government
Uneasy About Whether They Will Mend Their Ways.
"
London, To-day.
ber of the Government as far as he was aware would be unwilling to be relieved of a responsibility that could bring no personal satisfaction but only a burden that at times must be well- nigh insupportable.
LIBERAL
ATTITUDE
THE
LONDON, TO-DAY. Nobody who was doing his best
MARQUIS OF CREWE would have the right to mind but LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION ought to welcome the pointing out of LIBERALS, SPEAKING IN THE mistakes.
HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE, RE- COGNISED THAT THE GERMANS HAD HAD TO PAY A VERY CON- SIDERABLE PRICE FOR THEIR SUCCESS IN NORWAY.
Essential Unity
Lord Snell said the Labour Party wished to re-assert in the strongest way the essential unity of the nation concerning the principles for which
the country was at war.
"There has not been nor will there be either a retreat or a division.
"In resisting the evil trinity of might
He imagined their losses were pro-
bably greater than the monthly aver "ge of Germans killed in France dur- ing 1918 or 1917.
He hoped the debate would prove
ter.
LORD STRABOLGI MOVED a motion in the House of Lords yesterday at the request of the leader of the opposition calling attention to "the conduct of the war generally and particularly to the oper- ations in Norway." Opening with a tribute to the gallantry and devotion against right, despotism against free-salutary as showing the country was to duty of the Services in Scandinavia, Lord dom, and totalitarianism against de- not altogether satisfied with the way mocracy, there are no parties or divi- the war was being carried on. Reu- Strabolgi made particular mention of the "mag-sions."
Lord Birdwood's View nificent quality" of airmen from the Dominions.
certed to forestall the kind of aggres- and Field-Marshal Lord Birdwood said sion the Germans carried out,
informed we were not sufficiently He contended there have been far worse if the Allies had was considerable uneasiness persisted in an effort which, at con-it was wrong to describe the evacua-
tinuing cost, could not have been re- tion of central Norway as a disaster; about the Norwegian plans and mili-
our final vic-tary dispositions. about the Government's con- lied on to produce the desired result, it would not influence
tory.
It was very difficult going to help The attempt was well worth mak- duct of affairs, and still more
He regarded the evacuation as a de-a country against sudden attack about the possibility of their
order to operate elsewhere. mending their ways.
i
if
any
ingWe decided to cut our losses in anite achievement of valour but very one was unable to concert arrange- Lord Halifax, dealing with the cri- different from what happened at Gal-ments beforehand. We were forestall- The Norwegian operations were a ticism that we were not bringing effec-lipoli, where our troops were takened in the Norwegian ports because sympton of a disease which must be tive and timely help to neutrals, said right away from the theatre of war, the enemy was not bound by treated quickly or become chronic. that if the Allies won the war there while in Norway they were being re-scruples corresponding to those bind-
tained for such operations as might being us. The disease was that there were de-were certain assurances for those en-thought advisable after full consulta- No charge of lack of vigour or decî- fects both in the methods and person- slaved by Nazi tyranny.
tion with the Staff..
sion could be sustained in respect of nel of the Government.
If we failed, the victims of Nazi
the Navy or Air Force. He said he and his party agreed aggression would have no hope what- we were perfectly right in imme-ever of restoration. diately sending what help we could. But the Germani plan for attacking Norway in a world. war had been known-in-detail-for- some years by the combined General Staffs and the three fighting Services.
Men At Top
That knowledge had not percolated upwards and Mr. Chamberlain was able to say we were taken completely by surprise.
of the war...
He trusted the Government would agree that in future the whole object would be to strike hard night and day Irresistably.
We are facing, he said, the most dangerous challenge this country
He hoped the British and French has ever had to meet, a challenge
troops would be employed in never- which demands every ounce of en-ending raids on the whole of the Ger- ergy, material, Intellectual and spirl- tugl, that this country can summon to the task.
He deprecated the delusion that there was a short cut to victory.
Immense Strain :
man communications.
The small German detachments should be absolutely wiped out and the Norwegian people would be behind them in that.
.
Airman's Attitude
of He had never, he said, disguised from Air Marshal. Trenchard was
doubtful The fact was the men at the top were so occupied with departmental himself what an immense strain would opinion it was extremely
the capture of Trondheim work that they were not free to de-be imposed on us or that it would whether vote their minds to the prosecution largely depend on our capacity to keep would have given us air superiority. steady and marshal our effort with-It might have made things a thousand Lord Strabolgi criticised the Gov-out waste or dissipation of vital en- times more dangerous. ernment for not realising quickly enough that Trondheim was the key to the whole situation and then not making a direct attack on the port, which "of course would have succeed-
ed,"
The present operations at Narvik were of great importance. Other plans must be formulated and the Germans cleared out of Norway. He himself considered there should be a select committee of inquiry into the campaign.---Reuter.
Lord Halifax's Speech Replying for the Government, Lord Halifax said: "It is not possible for anyone in Lords or Commons to draw any distinction between the Prime Minister and every other member of . the War Cabinet who has been in com-
plete accord with him and with him shares full responsibility for what has
been done.
"I cannot claim that no mistakes were made but I am in no way dla- posed on behalf of the Government to adopt the apologetic posture of a defendant...
"If members of the Government, bringing as they certainly do to the problems of government very different minds and judgment, are unanimous on a certain course, and if they reach conclusions as they did without de- lay and with the assistance of the best technical advice they can command, It is not an unfair deduction that others -perhaps Government critics on the same information would have reach- ed conclusions not dissimilar.".
Lord Halifax said he didn't minimise the damage the withdrawal brought to the whole Allied prestige and its ef- fect on neutrals, and he thought It had been very great.
Exaggerated 'Hopes
was largely due to exaggerated expectations but the damage would
|
Political Issues
As far as Narvik was concerned he did not think it could be maintained for a moment that the Government or the Services had displayed the small- est lack of vigour or decision.
he the
In regard, to central Norway, said the political advantages of action were so over-riding as to justify some risk. The Government did not underrate the risks but decided with- out a moment's unnecessary delay that these risks should be run.
It was not necessary or advis. able that he should attempt to state the précise reasons why a naval was bombardment of Trondheim -not undertaken, it would involve assist the a mass of detail and. Lord Hankey, replying to the de-
enemy, ered.
Therefore he hoped that the Gov-bate, spoke of the heroism and com- ernment would not be deflected from petence of our forces in Norway as their main purpose but would be per- "a shining example to the nation and mitted to act as and when it appeared a good augury of days to come." to them in the light of the best pos- sible technical advice with the action best calculated to achieve the result.
He would be greatly alarmed if amateur: strategists who were shouting for immediate action had the command of affairs, Nothing would more lead to disaster that to yield to the temptation for large- scale adventurés,
He added the Government took the
to the opinion of its responsible ad- decision after giving full consideration
visers. of
Answering, allegations of lack Intelligence reports concerning events, Lord Hankey said: "We had the gen- eral knowledge that the enemy had assembled troops and shipping and were practising embarkation and dis- embarkation.
Trondheim Landing Referring to the landing of troops in the Trondheim area, Lord Hankey mentioned that on April 20 a ship in convoy loaded with anti-aircraft guns, motor transport and other valuable Plans In Books by stores, was torpedoed and sunk. But the Norwegiang and Danes It was the only transport sunk dur- themselves have close connectionsing the whole campaign and it was that Dealing with Mr. Churchill's with Germany and yet they had not a particularly serious loss at new duties, Lord Halifax hoped the the slightest idea what was going on juncture,
Lord Hankey deprecated an inquiry result would be to give valuable assis-We really could not know more
of Norway and said the setback would not pre tance in the direction of the higher than the Governments
vent us winning the war. strategy of the war.
and. Denmark.” Replying to questions as to whether Regarding the German plans men- He pointed out the operations in matters of supply would fall within tioned by Lord Strabolgi, there were Norway had drawn some eight
huge Mr. Churchill's purview, Lord Hall- of course many books of that kind nine German divisions and a
air force away from the main thea- fax said he did not doubt that Mr. produced. Churchill would naturally be in a posi
It was of course "known to thetre of war into Norway, where they tion to have any investigation he Staffs that these plans existed and we had sustained very heavy casualties. had plans ready for particular emer- We ought not to be depressed at the would be withdrawal but take comfort from the gency operations which
fact that our forces had comforted necessary.
themselves in a manner equal to the great traditions of the past.
wished made into the question of sup- ply and to suggest any improvements in organisation and he could bring any bottleneck questions to the CabinetHe felt a great deal too much had been made of the dispersal of the for solution.
Finnish expedition.
War Cabinet
In a reference to the construction of a war Cabinet and the suggestion of a smaller non-departmental body, Lord. Halifax said that they all want- ed the same thing, namely, the des- patch of business as efficiently as be, but it would be very rash to as sume that all the advantages in this argument were on one side.
or
No Division Taken In all circumstances the Gov-
Lord Halifax said it did not matter ernment did not feel justified in from the point of view of the Govern retaining inactive all these forces ment that a large percentage of critf- and obilising shipping required for cism was bound to be only partially oth purposes.
"I am convinced our decision was 8ht right and that it made no difference."
Norway's Decision
informed and yet, at the same time, based upon fuller knowledge than was. available to the Government – when they took their action, but when the He submitted that our plan of cam-effect of the criticism was to suggest paign was as good as could be de to the country that its war effort was vised without previous consultation misconceived and misapplied by those with Norway, to which, for reasons responsible for its direction, than he well known, Norway had been unable thought the criticism defeated its own ends and could only add unnecessarily and unprofitably to the inevitable strain of the war.
There was a very real danger that apparent simplification would aim ply introduce another cog Into the machine and cause additional delay.to agree. They all had one purpose the win- Norway's decision placed us under ning of the war and if it was at any a grave disadvantage at all stages time thought that other men could of the affair. Without preliminary do the job better, certainly no men- conversations no plans could be con
No division was taken in the House of Lords. — Reuter,