Page
THE CHINA MAIL- SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1958.
THE BUSINESS OF WAR
I CAN NEVER FORGIVE CHURCHILL...
-said General Sir John Dill
N October 9, 1940, received a telegram appointing me Director of Military Operations at the War Office. I was far from pleased with the prospect of returning to the War Office; I had always disliked it. Service in Whitehall, in war, as I know full well, was even more disagreeable than in peace. I knew, too, that the DMO's post was hard and exacting. I should have much preferred to get command of a division, for which I was in the running. But it was some consolation that Gonoral Sir John Dill was Chief of the Imperial Genoral Staff. One of my first Im pressions of the War Office Was that a heavy. straini was being imposed upon the Chiefs of Staff by the Prime Minister's habits. He worked in bed in the morning, slept in the after- noon, kept the Chiefs. of Staff up at night and went off to the country for long week-ends. This system nuited him, if nobody else; and it certainly enabled him to remain fresh. I soon dis
by Major-General Sir John Kennedy
he hid Papaitos?? (commander- in-chief of the Greek Army) to Tun it, Ho; anked me to wait and have a drink with him after the meeting, but I refused and loft Anthony (Edan) there by himself,"
"I tried to calm him down but without much success. I point- ed out that this kind of thing was nothing now, and reminded him that Bir William Robertson had had to go through much the same sort of experience with Lloyd George. The really important thing was not to give way, to be patient in developing our strategy, and to remember that vre could not afford to make mistakes.
It was a pity, but wa could not help it, that the Prime Minister did not devote his energy to the things ho could do so well-like pushing on the organisation. of our resources and industrial pro- duction, negotiating with the U.S.A., and so forth. At last Dill want of to bed and I to sleep.
PUSH ON
Next
morning Dill said he
in this sort of way? It would (DI and 1) discussed the Prime
be great fun.
strategist.
J
NEXT WEEK:
A SUMMONS TO CHURCHILL'S. BEDROOM -[London Express Service)
could not get over the Prime a Stilton cheese when it is set the vast amount of work, often describe him as the greatest Minister's behaviour the night before them."
uscless as we thought, which he before he was still angry. I One night, 'when wo were imposed upon the staffs, sald: "Could you not tackle him having a talk in his room, we DHI said that, if he ever memoirs, he would wrote his Could you not Minister's methods of conduct put him down as the greatest say to him something like this: ing the war and we agreed that leader we could possibly have If you would like to realise how his great qualities made up for had, but certainly no one cou.d I feel, just think how you would feel if I said to you that your letter to Roosevelt did not go nearly for enough, Why have you not got the U.S.A.. in the wart Why have you not Hot Spain on our side? have you not got the 'Balkon sintea and Turkey. in with us? And what about the For East, and the atitude of Japan?
Why
that our
So do
THE BUSINESS
OF WAR
by MAJOR-GENERAL S
SIR JOHN KENNEDY
IT is a series which will excite immense controversy for its revelations of the clash between the generals and the civilian leaders in the conduct of the war. And here as an introduction
GCMG KCVO, KBE, CB, MC, Director of Military Operations 1940-43, Assistant Chief of Imperial General Staff (Operations and Intelligence) 1943-45.
Everything is wrong and bul up till midnight or later. was full of projects that had no Italian army in the Western
But Dill find always worked too attraction for the Chiefs of Desert. The essence of this you must push on foster.
ard and too long, and this fault Stat. He fretted at the delays plan was secrecy.
No letters would not say such things to as to wear him down and, in which are inseparable from the or telegrams were exchanged on you, because I belong the end, to wear film out al- preparation of modern sighting the subject. Wavell had told diplomacy is suffering from lack together.
forces, and ho pressed Us Eden (then Secretary of State of strength behind it.
Our lack of His capacity for good work incessantly to "grapple with the for Wor] about it during his our operations.
before the end enemy.
visit to Egypt in October, No strength compels us to go care. was impaired of his time as CIGS, and even He did, however, realise, as one else in London knew of it fully in both-we cannot afford But wo covered that he Wat this period he was already he himself put it one day at a except the Prime Minister, the to make a false step.
may make false step it you interested in the minutest showing signs of great conference assembled to con- Chiefs of Staff and myself.
keep up this sort of political detalls of everything we fatigue. it was he who bare sider the allocation of equip-
THE BATTLE pressure that led to such dis- Churchill's fury ment to our allies, that "there did, and that he poured out the brunt of
asters as Kut and the first when the latter's multitudin were too many little pigs and Churchilt discussed the forth failure at Gaza In the last war. floods of memoranda upon our klens and projects were op- not enough teata the old coming battle nearly every day. We cannot afford that sort of all problems, great and
He magnified the possible failure now. But there Was one plon results out of all proportion, small. Much time had to be posed by the Chiefs of Staff.
We both began to laugh. I DEAD HAND being hatched, with the full and he wished to extend the added that he must remember
bleasing of the Calefs of Staff, scope of the operations. On one occasion,
He that he was in a weaker position some This was for General Sir Archl- refused to recognise. the hard about the Chiefs of Staff was 9.30 long argument
bold Wavell's attack upon the
realities of the problem of than any CIGS. In the last war, that he no commander p.m., and he often kept especially
supply in the desert. He urged in the field, with any prie TODAY the China Mail begins a new series of tion. Churchill accused them up until one or two in to his face of being "the dead
that operations should be begun to back bin. Wavell's opinion
articles on the inside planning and the Brainst Abyssinia from Kenya, did not carry
some the morning.
hand of inanition." On another,
great weight supreme direction of Great Britain's part in the
alteration of theirs? Iegardless of the vast distances, because no one knew yet and, when Dill argue against whether
he was any good or war.
When General Sir Alan Brooke this, he remarked that the
not. There was nothing for it. They are written by Major-General Sir John became Chief of Imperial Gen- successes of the Greeks against but to be patient.
Kennedy, who was Director of Military Operations at the cral Staff in December the Itailans
becoming were
War Office (October 1940-November 1948) and wo learn that he used to occupy positively embarrassing in face
otherwise "lost". hours Assistant Chlef of Imperial General Staff (November during the afternoon in rum- of our Inaction,
1943-June 1945).
maging round the London book-
spent in answering them.
His usual hour for meeting
unsound
after J
runges→
him
Further, ho had collected the Prime Minister watching around him a number of men the Chiefs of Staff as they filed who gave hun independent ad- cut of his room after a midnight vice, which we thought to be sitting, remarked to one of his wage and entourage, "I have sometimes irresponsible
war often unsound; and their ideas modern
hod to be discussed and debale weapons."
and ed. Everybody realised
to
with Ancient
Our polley in the General appreciated Churchill's great Stuff, at this period, was to up our resources, of qualities, But there were few bulld
who did not sometimes doubt which we were painfully short, whether these were adequate and to refrain from all opera- for his methods tions which were not essential. compensation
of handling the war machine, We wished to do nothing that and the
additional would postpone decisive action: Suncase
It rash to risk effort they Imposed upon the we considered Service Staffs,
unnecessary reverses merely for the sake of doing something.
I found I was expected to be available at the War Office not only a day, except for meals,
FERDINAND
Churchill, on the other hand,. thirsted for action, and his head
MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN
WHAT...
WANT?
DO YOU
YOUR MONEY AND YOUR WIFES JEWELS, WHERE IS SHE, BY
THE WAY?
AT THE OPERA, SAY! HOW DID YOU GET ON MY ROOF- TWENTY STORIES FROM THE STREET
| THANK YOU. ! NOW YOUR WIFE'S JEWELS!
suw,"
00
GENERAL WAVELL *No one knew whether, ha
was any good or not.”
(GULF-THE
JEWELS ARE
IN THAT BOX.
JOHNNY. HAZARD
S-STOP! WE'RE THROWING OUT OUR
GUNSI
OKAY! FUT THE;
SQUEEIE, WY/
A SHORT TIME LATER.....
SWING WIDE THOSE- MTON GATES, AVE SAVOYE GOT A COUPLE OF LADS' HERE. WHO ARE JUST PANTING TO GET INTO THE SAFETY OF YOUR
GUARDHOUSE!
AND THAT BRACELET, PLEASE, THAT YOU JUST SLIPPED UNDER THE PILLOW
On December 4, Dill returned to the War Office about mid- Light, and came to see me in my room.
He
A REBUKE
On the last day of January 1941 Churchill sent for Dill and rebuked him about a statement he was supposed to have made
is
THE CASE FOR THE CIVILIAN
An illuminating aspect of his
the
I had just got into ut a Picss conference on the story deals with the relation- bed and was nearly asleep. I previous day.
ships which existed during those
between saw that he was agitated, Duff Cooper, then Minister of critical years caid: "I cannot tell you how Information, sold that the Press various. angry the Prime Minister bas conference had been a great top." made me. What he said about success; they had enjoyed having the Army tonight I can never access to a "technician" as op- forgive, He complained he posed to a "politician." To this could get nothing done by the Churchill had rejoined: "Of Army. Then he said he wished emirse, starving mice sypreciato
By Mik
By Lee Falk and Phil Davis
NOW, IF YOU WILL SIT ON THE FLOOR, FACING THE TERRACE-
HOW DYP HE GET UP HERE?
By Frank Robbins
to COPENHAGEN..
to this night-and-day routine. Why couldn't his closest Service colleagues have tried
Well, Churchill stuck regularly
those
By Frank Owen
1041,
shops In search of volumes on
his hobby of
Bird-lore.
personalities "at the
If distin Takkig galthed Sentor General Kennedy sets it all Ind
Korcefully, of their labour, the shifting of Staff Omcem, instead of working out frankly
being a profcasional their domicile, rationing of their in Whitehall, had been serving in though Boldler himself he generally food and goods, the regimenting the field or at sea as they so takes the adde of the Service of their daily lives, the threat frequently and, ho doubt, ain- "In many instances the cerely said that they would have against the polit (and
of invasion, preferred to be then they would clans for, rather, the pollu actual experience) clan, who was Prima hilaister with all its attendant horrors hardly have complained there of Winston Churchili).
of murder, massacre · and rope,, a 12-liour day, in duly turns of War became, in fact, avery four hours on and, four hours body's business.
off. As it was, they still found
Chiefs an
Of course, something very similar had happened before
The Supreme Command of the ample time, it seems, not only to In the 1914-18 war. Then, a war remained a highly special search for books, but to compose [General Kennedy recalls, the feuds hed. bern between Primo ined task. And so, the whole issue? diaries.
In these intimate, personal Surely, some not very extra- Minister David Lloyd George struggles at the summit" was ordinary skill of departmental and Chief of Imperial General where to draw the dividing line organisation in the War Office. Staff Sir William Robertson (as batween the power of the Bor Admiralty, and Air Ministry well AJ Commander-in-Chief vices and that of the Civilians could have devised ways of cop- General Sir Dõuktas, Halg),
General Kennedy epeaks for ing with that immense addi- Lloyd George, indeed, had a the Service Chiefs, Here is the tional effort which General harder. tags than Winston Tase for the Clyillers Churchill. For Quring LG's struggles, there was ranged on the side of the soldiers a King
who thoroughly understood the
SWISSAR Services and had no special por-
There's More than Magic
about CADBURY'S
HONG KONG. Favourite Chocolates
AUSTIN
VIDE RANGE
HOME LEAVE
Kennody says *** Churchill's A methods of operating the war THREE ISSUES machina placodi upon the winton Churchill, fought, ideas and projects which seems at least three lasues. Then those multitudinous
Borviče Staff?
sonal affinity with His Prime the Service Chiefs successfully forever to have bubbled in The Minister. In Churchill's war and, as events proved, rightly. Civillan's fertile mind. Fremiership, the King was on The Arst was the shipmen burbled from hi loquncious lips.
.and
thom,
the friendliest terms with his from Britain of tanks and wear There was Churchill, thirsting Prime Minister (they very fre supplies to Soviet Russia ab for action and there were the quently lunched together) and time when we were also in dire Service Chiefs, with the limited was invariably acquiescent with need (though less need) of them resources available to
ourselves. If those vital supplies unable to satiaty his policies.
his demanda! BETTER WICKET had been withheld there would yes, but it is hard to belleve have been no victory at Stalin that the, nnxieties which he LOYD George triumphed over grad, the turning point of the caused were not immeasurably the Generals in the end, so tour on the Eastern Front, offset by the encouragement he that Winston Churchill, la his The second hunch of Winston gave though, bis example of Innings, started off on better Churchill was to hold on at all unswerving purpose, imagination. wickoland he stayed that way! coale to the Middle East,
the and energy Another advantage that cordon guarding the oil reteres p Churchill enjoyed was that while voirs of Iraq, Perla in the 1914-18 war defeat by the Arabla, and the lifeline to the Kaiser would have meant that Far East.
and.
AN EXCHANGE
A'S for the hard words which
Liere
from troubling him throughout GOT UP LATE: was at the time of the Greek
the British people would have *The, third "Winston Win? kobe Winston sometimes showered had imposed on them. a heavy the surprise seizure of Mada upon his Service Chiefs, indemnity, 'In the 1030-45 war. pascar, which ensured our was (and in); ik: British publie defeat by Hitler would have naval grip on the Indian Ocean, life no character, who enjoys an micant the diamechberment and, at the time of the Japanese exchange of opprobrious epithets destruction of our nation. So the swoop, os, Singapore, more than a chap called Winston British publle fallled round the On these three inster the himself Hend of the Government and Service Chiefreiterated Nol When fie snorted, to his then the House of Commons censend And the Civilian insisted YEST CIOS, General Bir. John Dill (it N
crisa in 1941), that he..only the wor. Winston Churchilf had
RENERAL - KENNEDY /opens wished he had General Papagos an immeasurably moro Brm position: a wartime Prima LX-his series by criticising Mr,(thon Commander in Colerat Minister: then.over was held by Churchill's habits of lying. The the Ornal Arrny) to run the Prime Minister obrtainly worked Bean caripy: the Soldier should Lloyd Cleorge, and
The second world war, indeed, hard enough and long/coough Have paaristi in soport: naa. like no other ever before in his (nobody ever complained about":"ni Sid if only old Veniselon (the loty, war as much #21 afrair of dhati). ' But he worked accord", tiver Greek Frime Minister of the elvillan peoples as of the 'ing to his own timetable. He got the 1914418) War (KWAN: BLITE Bruned forcesz al
sekrup Safely late, in the morning around, what an improvement to Both como under the direct (after working in bed); went on hava hint a running & the Britishi, add_devastating bombing and 10, bed-again for an hour or: # Governmenti liggjan yo k
|
METRO CARS (H.K
LTD.
shellfire of the enemy. On a fer in tha, afternoon, and then stayed izbe mrwering KORTSpend), the || varter cale than in cay previne ad up on the night, following
Doublets, the so-called pan-cams. The trouble "wan, he kept the been horros.
"Whitehall,