THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 9, 1940,
Thrary, Capetnie Cout
Page
Cheerful Confidence The Keynote Of Premier's Speech
8,000 Killed In Month Of Air Raids
CHEERFULNESS AND CONFIDENCE WAS THE KEYNOTE OF MR. CHURCHILL'S LATEST STATEMENT ON THE WAR SITUATION, DURING WHICH HE DISCLOSED THE DECISION TO: RE-OPEN THE BURMA ROAD.
A month has passed, said the Prime Minister, in opening, since Hitler turned his rage and malace on the civil population and Britain's great cities.
He had declared he would raze our cities to the ground and since then he has been fry- ing to carry out his full purpose.
for themselves in due course by practical 'experience." Declaring that they must have
was now malcing his way across the desert towards them.?
"AB 1 will eay le that we are doing our bort. and there, ab Here, we feel a good deal better than we did soms time affo:"
Referring the Dakar episode, Mr. Churchill said this operation
and some errors which had been made the subject of disciplinary action neither the First Sea Lord nor the Inner Cabinet were in- formed of the approach of these ships, to the Straits of Gibraltar until it was too late to stop them
"Orders were given to stop them at Casabianca. These
was primarily French and afforts falled but the Vicily:
cruisere were prevented fron carrying out their further pur posts of attacking Duala. Of the four French vessels coh- cerned, two succeeded in regain-
they were ready to give it measure of support which might, in certain circumstances, have beeh decisive they were no more anxious than General de Gaulle to get involved in a long anding Dakar while the other two sanguinary conflict with the Vichy French.
"That General de Gaulle was right in belleving the majority in Dakar were favourable to Free Frenchmen I have no doubt. In deed I think his judgment has been found extremely sure-footed
were overtaken by British crui- sels and were induced and per- suaded to return to Casablanca without any actual violence.
The fight which ensued between British ships and shore batteries. at Bakar, reinforced with the 16- inch guns of the damaged Riche, lieu, was pretty stin.
Two Vichy submarines which sunk. The crew of one were happily
a shelter with sleeping bunks for every person in areas liable and our opinion of him has been enhanced by everything" wệ have" to constant attackt, in the shortest seen of his conduct in circum-attacked the fleet were possible time, Mr. Churchill an- stances peculiarly and perplexing nounced" that large schemes ly difficult. were already: on foot for viding food and hot drinks those who sleep in shelters also for entertainment through
the winter evenings.
pro.
for and
Compulsory Insurance
Larger Cause
After paying this tribute to the judgment of General de Gaulle, Mr. Churchill said Government
had no intention whatever of
abandoning General de Gaulle's cause until it was merged. as'
Naturally, the first question we should ask is to what extent the full strength of the German bomb- ing force has been employed. The best opinion I
Widespread organisations for have been able to form, on what is necessarily to relief of those whose homes were merged it would be, in the larger some extent a matter of speculation, is that after
smitten were already in being cause of France. and were being expanded.
The whole situation at Dakar severe mauling on August 15, the German short- The Chancellor of the Exche-was transformed in a most un- range dive-bombers, of which there are several hun-quer had virtually completed pre- favourable manner by the arrival paration of a bill for nationwide there of three French cruisers dred, have been kept carefully out of the fight.
compulsory insurance against and three destroyers which car- damage to property from the ried with them a number of This may be because they are Declaring that neither by ma-enemy's fire. (Cheers). Every Vichy partisans evidently of a being held in reserve to play terial destruction nor by slaughter one could be covered and covered most bitter type. their part in the general plan of would the people of the British with retrospective effect from the
sent to invasion or to reappear in other Empire be turned from their in-beginning of the war.
and to theatres of war.
exorable purpose, Mr. Churchill
We have, therefore, to deal went on to speak of the remark- with the long-range heavy Ger-able spirit of the people who man bombers alone. It would had suffered by German fright- seem that taking day and night fulness.
together, 400 of these machines "In all my life I have never have visited us every 24 hours. been treated with so much kind- No doubt concentrated efforts ness as by the people who have could increase the figure for a suffered most. One would have few days at a time, but this thought, exclaimed the Premier would not sensibly affect the amid cheers, one had brought monthly average..
them some great benefit "instead' Certainly, said Mr. Churchill, of the blood, tears and sweat there has been a considerable which is all I have ever promis- tailing in the last ten days and ed.. On every side there is the during the month that has passery 'We can take: it.""
Government also proposed to provide Insurance against risk of war damage for all forms of moveable property, including household effects.
"Thus," said Mr. Churchill, "we" shall be able to prove to all that Hitler's act of mass ter ror against the British nation has falled as conspicuously as hie 'magnetic mine and other at- tempts to strangle our seaborne, trade."
Invasion Danger
Referring to the promised inva- ed since heavy bombing--began ---Mr. Churchill said that Mussa-sion the Prime Minister declared: we have had a steady decline in 'lini had some experiences ahead"Do not let us be lured into sup- casualfice and in damage to of him which he did not foresee posing that the danger is past. property:
lat the time when he thought
Speaking of the Dakar inci- lit safe: 'and: profitable to: dent, Mr. Churchill said that by stab the stricken and prostrate a series of accidents and some French Republic. in the back, errors, which had been made Referring to reprisals, Mr. the subject of disciplinary. ac Churchill said that our object
"On the contrary, unweary- Ing vigilance and the swift and steady strengthening of our forces by ⠀ land, sea and alr which is in progress must at all costs be maintained.
plans to throw half a million men in a single night on to the salt
tion or are noW subject to must be to inflict the maximum "The enemy has certainly got fórmal enquirica, neither the harm upon the war-making ca- First Sea Lord nor the Innerpacity of Germany, and that was Cabinet were-- Informed of the the only object we shall pursue, waters or into it." (Laughter). approach of French warships.to
the Straits of Gibraltar unul It German Bombing:
was too late to stop them pass- Ing through.
Raid Casualties: { Mr. Churchill also said that since the mass attacks on Britain commenced, nearly 400 Jong range heavy bombers have on an average visited our shores every
24 hours.
It was doubtful whether this rate of sustained attack could be greatly exceeded.
Mr. Churchill declared that the main reason why an invasion had not been attempted up to the pre-
Mr. Churchill said that the Ger:sent was the succession of brilliant mans claimed to have discharged victories gained by British fight- | 22,000 tons of explosives uponer aircraft.
Britain since the beginning of the war. They claimed that on last Thursday week. 251 tons were thrown upon London Inga-single night. On that: particular night, 180 persons were killed.
The three great days of Au- gust 15, September 15 and:Sep- tember 27 had proved to all the world that 'over our own Island we had mastery of the air.
Tremendous Fact
That was to say that it took a ton of bombs to kill three-quar- This was a tremendous- fact. `ters of a person: Therefore the These victories of the Air Force "I hesitate to say anything: of
deadliness of 'attack in this war enabled the Navy, which was now an optimistic nature because our
appeared to be only ones thir-receiving very great reinforce- teanth of that of 1914-18" people do not mind being told the
ments, apart altogether from the Mr. Churchill, gave Britain's American destroyers now coming worst but they resent anything in the nature of soothing states shelter system as an explanation. rapidly into service; to assert its
Mr. Churchill declared that it sure, and well tried power. ments which are not bome out by would take ten years at the pre- events, and, after all, war is full of sent rate for half of the houses of bombers, we were at this moment, In the air, both in fighters and unpleasant surprises. On the whole, however, we may. I think, London to be demolished but after all these months of battle; In all reserve reach the provision to happen to Hitler and the Nazi and relatively, than we were in quite a lot of things were going substantially stronger, actually. al conclusion that the Garman average effort against this coun-regime before even ten years May. try absorbs a very considerable were over (cheers).
part of their potential strength. I Sterile Gontroversy
The pilot situation was rapidly Improving..
*
No-one, Mr♫ Ghurchill went should not like to say we have the
on; had ever · protended' that we' measure of their power, but we
Asking his hearers not to go feel more confident about it than
could overtake Germany's im inton sterile controversy on the 'menso: lead' In the first year or we have ever been before subject of what were or were not ho of water
Up to last Saturday, air raid reprisals, Mr Churchill declared. "We have a long lapse to make casualties were about 8,000 kill-that no-one must look forward to up. We must give ourselves a baahd 13,000 wouhdad.
any relief from bombing merely chance. Perhaps it will be pos- Since heavy raiding began on from winter weather but he addsible to make a more satisfactory September 7, the figures of kitt⋅ | edi
statement on this subject at thi ed and "soriously, wounded; had]; steadily declined from over 8,000method will be devised to make
"It may be that some new time next year." In the first week to just about 6,000 in the second, about 4,000 the wholesale. bombing, of the in the third, and 3,000 last week: civilian population by night or in Logs more exciting to the enemy that it is at present."
“We Can Take It!? Destruction of property, how- over, had been considerable though it was easy to get din
'No Propheciès.. Referring to the reinforcement
.
of the British armies in the Mid- dle, East andeldewhere, Mr. Doolaring that he would not Churchill, said that he would foreshadow any of these moa: make no prophecies about what ouros Mr. Churchill: sald, amid would happen when the British,.. : laughter and chopra: "It would Australian, New Zealand, Indian
ckaggerated Impression.evens. Ini? be much better:for us to allow, and Egyptian troops camb to that matter:
our visitors to find them out close grips with the invader who
These partisans wore overawe the population guard the defences.
Efforts Failed
savedi
Two French destroyers
. were set on fire, one of the cruisers. badly hit and the Richelieu her-.. self suffered further damage.
On our part; a battleship, and a latge cruiser suffered damage Which, though it'" häid not pre- vented their steaming and fighting, would require con-
sidérable attention, when con- venient.
Spain's Needs
Mr. Churchill concluded with a reference to Spain.
There was, he said, no country in Europe which had more need of peace, of food and trade than Spain.
а
All Britain sought was that Spain should not become channel of supply to our mòr- tal foc.
The policy which His Majesty's Government had been pursuing Britain looked forward to see towards the Vichy French war-Spain take her rightful place as a ships was not to interfere with Mediterranean power and a lead- them unless they appeared to being and famous member of the proceeding to an enemy controlled family of Europe and Christen- port. By a series of accidents dom Reuter
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