by Major-General
SIR JOHN
KENNEDY
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1958.
WE SHALL LOSE THE MIDDLE EAST,
SAYS DILL
Directst of Military Opera toax 1940-43. Arrietan Chlaf et Imperial Gastrol Staff (params ana Entelligence) 1943-49
● Early
in June 1941 Crete was evacuated. On
the 7th General su Archibald Wavell, Сал- mander-in-Chief,' Middle
Eat, sent, troops into Byria and simultaneously Iazuched an offensive in the Desert against Solum. Tobruk wan xiill at this time under siege,
London Exptasi Sefiice
-AND TWELVE HOURS LATER THE GERMANS DECLARE WAR ON RUSSIA
WAS on leave for a week from June 14-20. night of June 25, the Prime Minister announced the When I returned on the 21st I went to see
forthcoming change in com- -General Dill, the Chief of the Imperial mand in the Middle East General Staff. The past week had been a dis- and, as Dill told me after he had 'cri- appointing one. The Syrian invasion was going the meeting.
bitter very slowly (although Damascus fell that day), ticised Wavell in and the offensive in the desert at Sollum had failed terms. He had evidently boen at his most difficult. with heavy loss.
He had also attacked Dill
Dill said, "I suppose you realise we shall lose the upon his refusal to agree to Middle East?"
the despatch of 100 more cruleer tanks to Egypt, by 1 was somewhat taken opposing directives from direct convoy through the aback at this, but I replied: his Government with which Mediterranean, over and "Well, that depends on the he disagreed? We felt that above the considerable num- Boche. If ha concentrates he must expect to be abused, ber that we had already on the Middle East, I agree and to be reproached for planned to send. that we cannot put in lacking initiative, and that sufficient resources to hold he must be prepared to re- it. But he may not concen- sign if his advice on major trute on it, and he may get questions were overruled. I into trouble elsewhere." thought that Haig would Twelve hours later the Ger- never have allowed his hand
declared
War on to be forced if he had found himself in Wavell's position.
mans Russia.
The blow
I suggested that, apart from his handling of the Prime Minister's directives. On this day Churchill his biggest mistake in thi of strategy was sent over to us copies of two realm telegrams which he had Greece, though I realised despatched. One was to that Dill might not agree. Wavell and the other to the Viceroy; and they contain- ed instructions for Wavell and Auchinleck to PX- change commands,
had
Dill showed me a letter he had had from Wavell. It. said among other things that he felt tired; that he, sometimes wondered if his had become
He had said, "You would
see, Tobruk brought down, with all those Australians there, you would see the whole position in the Middle East crumble, rather than Dill had send the tanks." been quite firm, but, he told me, he had received no sup-
Looking up at the portrait, Dill remarked One cannot condemn Henry Wilson so heartily as one used to, now that one has had first-hand experience of politicians."
Winston's Taunts
experience
of
When Wavell receives the
reasons you have given, but first-hand 'simply because the Navy politicians.” can't take them." "Well," I remarked, "It doesn't matter tolegitan which informed him of what the reason is, so long sis dismissal, he wrote to Dill na he does not send them." and sakt he "was sorry he had "That is exactly what I hot done better" He also sent us a very frank account of the feel," said Dill.
withdrawal from Cyrenaica in
be
He repeated that he was April. In it he admitted freely that he had not appreciated the prepared to resign on this possible weight of the German issue, and that, if the Prime attack at Benghazi, and Minister refused his re- described the series of mistakes signation, he would appeal and misunderstandings on to the War Cabinet. He add. part of his subordinates which led to the debacle. Never once ed that he had twice before in his official communications offered to resign.
angbody but
The Prime Minister had also spoken of the prema-
had he blamed himself.
the
Thus Wavell'a command ia Middlo
ture offensive in the desert we knew well
East came to an end.
in the War earlier in the month. Ho office, the great things he had
was still bitterly disappoint to his credit, which for put-
CHURCHILL *PHONES M.0.3.
THE Prime Minister made
aractles ·al täitchenior from trim to time, te denier afflesre in the WarkDinggu. Unt ment duriAKAALUM MENN campaign, be asked to be but Through to Maonths station which dealt with
of
the Midgle, Santé
a resently hewan, Cold-thai HOS WE on the line. followin
MOST
The
converistian
Minister. — Is that olos—Yes,
Prime Minister. — How de you think the oparazionu prk.....
thing is going all right, * Prima Miniatur. — What About that turalne movement tha Pranch are trying to
Les-Oh, that same to
to lahi.
Yome Minister. ~ Who are Vales, Corporal Janse. Duty Clerk, Mokk
End of conversation,
ed and angry at its fallure, shone his failures. It was a outlook in the minds of the It had now become evident the resources at his disposal, to stats. As things turned out, it remarkable achievement, with Commander-in-Chief and their that our attack at Sollum have destroyed
tho Italian would not have mattered if no had been badly timed, not army, and to have occupied, plans had, been prepared. . · ·
a particularly difficult inter view with him he said, "The
the
the
In both these matters we were
only strategically, but tacti- Abyssinia, Syria and Iraq, oven though he failed against the cally as well, for no ad Germans in Greece, in Crete endeavouring to base, our action quate time had been allow and in the Desert.
on a reasoned appreciation of ed to the crews and the
what the Germania mliht : do. units to train with their Reflecting upon the contro Churchill seemed to move by versies that agitated us in Lon-Impulse and by intuition, and new tanks before they were don during the last months of we therefore, regarded him a8:4- put into action.
In each caso it must Wavell's command, the reader gambler. Dill was much harassed' of this narrative may well come be admitted that the marabia' that Chur- would have come off. As we by the Prime Minister's in to the conclusion terventions in the minutiae chill was right, and that we now know, It was not put to
General Staff were wrong, the test. of Service affairs. One on at least two questions which
All the same, the atmosphere - day when he returned from had engendered much heat. Ho in the General Staff, as we
was always for reinforcing Middle East and for taking tolled at our tasks in the War chance on the security of the Moe, was invariably one of can British Isles. We, on the other cheerfulness; our
ultimate victory hand, believed the importance of the United Kingdom in our plete even when things
weat strategy to be so great that it was certainly dealt to make this moment wrong, though at risk there should be accepted so long us there was still a real it about.
a dednite plan that would bring danger of invasion.
The charges of defeatism which Churchill burled at us all continually and which were so fiercely resented at arst, came to be regarded as time went on as a matter of The second point of difference course, and were even taken was whether it was wise or not lightheartedly. But, though wa to prepare plans for a possible would probably have pealed this evacuation of Egypt. Churchill hotly then, Hiere rio dohibit
Kept
On Our Toes..
Us
The risk
籍
Was
confidence in
com
quite felt that the risk, of neglecting that his taunts and exhortations to make such plans was more and his criticism of every detail Then, than counterbalanced by the of our work, kept us continually Henry danger of fostering a defeatist on our toes, which
The blow had fallen on judgment Wavell at lust; Dill and I affected; and that, if he port from the other Chiefs thought so, too, and that, if Minister had once again Prime Minister was were both very sad for him, were told to go, he would of Staff.
the Prime Minister were to been in one of his worst impossible today." and we discussed at some go without making any
On the 26th, the Prime refuse his resignation and moods. He had attacked Dill looking up at Sir
portrait length what
gone trouble. He added that he wrong.
I felt his biggest hoped his successor would Minister summoned another at the same time insist on afresh about the cruiser Wilson's mistake had been
his be more successful than he meeting, at 5.30 p.m., to sending the tanks, he could tanks for Egypt. Dill said: hung among others in his
say that he wished to state "I just smiled and sat silent, room, he remarked, fallure to take the right in dealing with the "bold continue the discussion with his case to the War Cabinet, Then the Prime Minister cannot condemn Henry Wil- line with regard to the and hazardous courses" put regard to the despatch of
On the following day Dill said, "Well, I won't send son so heartily as one used instructions he hud re to him by the Prime the tanks.
Dill asked me, told me that the Prime them--not because of the to, now that one has had Minister. ceived from London,
before the meating, whether I thought he should resign. How far was a comman- - At a meeting of the if he were der in the field justified in Defence Committee on the said "Yes." Dill said he
"One
NEXT WEEK THE TELEGRAM THAT
MADE ROOSEVELT HIT THE ROOF
Church. overruled. Today, a South London doctor pays tribute to the faith of his ancestors
COMMENTARY. BY FRANK OWEN
NENERAL KENNEDY
G
today of sending the reinforcement. Ing they "regarded him toile of an occasion when (It seems that they had begun gambler."" the Chiefs-of-Btaff
If their own gamble (of not differed to weskan in their opinion that
in
the midsummar themselves and
1041, reinforcing some even Hitler,
sa a
Middl
it was about Banding cruiser tanks from Britain direct Donvoy
through Mediterranean to reinforce the Geltlah Army In Egypt at the end of June 1941.
East
found themselves agreeing with might yet invade Britain. The because of the chance of Hitler Prime Minister Churchl.
Fuhrer had now just launched invading Britain) had come off, 100 his invasion of Russia: Churchill the Germans might have cut the by had been ready to take the risk Middle East life-line to the Far East, and swarmed into the all- the of an attack on Britain even be-
fore Hitler turned eastwards. fields of Iraq, Persia and Arabla.
most Even at his
exacting General Kennedy suggests to (and that, indeed, could ba mey wall comething!) General Kennedy General Sir John DUI, then day that Churchill Chiot of imperial General Staff, have been correct in his p. agrees that the Prime Miniator,
Statt by his firmly against it, but his praisal, and the General
tline wrong. However, because the Taunte and exhortations and Service colleagues this gave him no backing hla Prime Minister did not work is criticism of every detail of arguments with Churchill, who things out in his mind along our work, kept us continually was just as strongly in favour, the lines of Staff College train on our toes"
Woo
In
IKE-NIK
America's German
scientists
106 QUESTIONS
that gave the
Scots their drive
-What is your name? A.
· My people - Germany, triumphs again! The Iron
to De
SPUTNIK II
N or M.
-by Russia's German Scientists
Cummings
Today ho is still Principles of Religion." (Walite's President of the Presbyterian defnitions carry willingness to Historical Society,
help to great length, witness His interest in the Shorter his definition of Femalo-a Catechism he inherited from his woman or one of the she kind”) father, William Carruthers, who Necessarily a work of this ይሰ years ngo published a character lacks humour. Scots- facsimile edilon with a full men take their religion seriously. bibliography.
But Dr Carruthers has up- earthed
31 'parody of the
Minute study Son took over from father Catechism. and amassed further material, Now today the results of Dr Car-
A parody ruthers's researches are mado Q-What is the chief end of known. Three centuries of the a modern clergyman? 22 m. Westminster Shorter Catechism A-A modern clergyman'a is a large lavishly produced chief end is to serve the Patron work, financed by the Beaver- and his friends, that he may in brook Foundation. It is publish due time be found worthy to ed by the University of New receive and enjoy a benefice, or Erunswick and cools
four ho advanced to a better place
guincas,
It presents the most through his favour. minuto study on the grandest This parody neatly illustrates scale.
the advantage of the catechis Tho Shorter Catechism, ang method,
Today, however, clear-cut expression of Calvinist the method and, with the dectrine, was formally adopted method, the Shorter Catechin by the Church of Scotland and itself not used as 'oned' it was. Partly TH
THIS curious beginning to for three centuries has been in Not even in Scotland.
this reflects a change in the the Catechism in the catenalve. use. in Presbyterian theological, climato. Partly A churches in Great Britain, a change in educational methods. Book of Common Prayer North America 'and in their has puzzled many young missions all over the world. In Partly a slackening in parental Anglicans in their time and the bibliography which forms discipline and religious obsery- been the subject of many the greater part of Dr Car ance.
ruthers's volume, translations Yot even today in some expositions by their instruc- into such unlikely tongues as lomes, among the sons and tors. How different is the Xhosa and Choctaw are listed daughters of the manse perhaps, first question and answer of end described,
old grounding of the the Shorter Catechism on
Catechism is still the rule. Many editions which .- generationa
The intention of the Shorter - of
Dour doctrines - children have been ground- Catechism had been from the
the
ed in the Presbyterian st that it should be used as a In editions of the Catechism Directory for Cateching much in the middle of the 18h faith? What pith, and punch, as are of weaker capacity." century, there were added what they pack in comparison. Thus many editioni have been were called short and easy
What is the chef end of printed with Alphabels; while questions; MAR mán? May
Who cr de right up to the present day it is Man's chief and is, to the custom to print on the back glorify God, and to enjoy Him of the Catechiam the Multipli-
sation for ever
Tablo--a sign that ad- vansement, on earth Dr' well as This" For more than a
inime cra-progress from earth to Heaven, you?
Is the proper concern of even turfes this Catechism, series
heritage
A-Or the dust of the darth, Q-What doth that teach A-Humilly
On such dour and wholbromo of. 108 questions and answers, the most godly Scots people. has powerfully assisted in the But it was early discovered doctrines Scotsmen and Pratby- development of the Scottish that the Shorter Catechism was teriana have been rearod for character, is serious-mindedness, too strong meat for those of generations: In return, one of Ile Loughness of intellect, it weaker capacity. And a host of them, a docter In Blous strict moral sesso, lists borttage have been published in the last notable work of lay scholarship,
its logicality. Commentarice and expositions London suburbs. has produced has now been revealed in a book three centuries, many of which tribute to the win or la by a 92-year-old retired doctor, have been tracked down by Dr ancestors.
Carruthers and fhad their place Dr 8. W. Carruthers.
Tho`rfchaums
In 1890 Dr. Carruthers began in his empendious bibliography. The ourilent" exposition, of all his 50 years, of general practica
In Norwood." "Artor hula profes by John Wallis Is described, as sion, Churchwork Jan Alwark A BILETAKIT Basias Kaplamasi je "RA bean his chief interest: For a tian" of the Shqrior: Catenalin time, when he was 59.youre old, "wherein the meanest Capacities be acted as Conacul Secretary: mag in a speedy and sasis way as kalah Presbyterien, be brought to understand the
IVAN AYATES