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DEBATE ON CONDUCT OF THE WAR
THE CHIN
Mr. Hore Belisha's TOTAL WAR MUST BE WON BY TOTAL MEANS: ALLIES HESITATE: FOE ACTS
London, To-day.
SPEAKING IN THE COMMONS debate yesterday, Mr. Leslie Hore-Belisha, former Minister of War, asked whether in their strategy, diplomacy and their total efforts they were doing everything to achieve their aims.
"The war began with two swift strokes. Poland was annihilated and German commerce was swept from the seas.
Harsh Judgments Not
In Order
FINLAND'S FIGHT
Attack
We
Abefore the final collapse.
were told the spirit of the army was completely unbroken, and they were confident of being able to hold the Mannerheim Line.
It was really only a few days be- fore, the final collapse that we were informed the situation was considered serious.
Mr. Chamberlain said every request the Finns made to us was referred to the Chiefs of Staff, to know whether they considered it justified in the cir- cumstances in which we found our- selves.
Finland's magnificent fight against If we had considered solely those aggression was in the same cause as declared Mr. C. R. Attlee, Leader of
that for which Britain was fighting,
the Labour Opposition.
The duty of assisting Finland was not fald only upon. Britain but upon a: mambor states of the League, and in this caso Norway and Sweden, he said, had not powerful “armaments.:
and things which were naturally properly. In the minds of the Chiefs of Staff, we should have sent vary much less than we did,
The Cabinet took the responsibility and the risks in sending equipment · and material: We thought it might help the Finns to hold out.
Since then Germany had been inactive on land and
the Allies had applied the blockade. It was the judgment made' against a people who. Chamberlain stressed sole offensive weapon they had employed.
ENORMOUS PREPARATION Dealing with "the criticism that the Mr. He. did not like to hear a harsh Government had been too late,
the enormous to the preparation required for such an ex- after all, were pretty close front line.
pedition. The amount of `aid Britain could send was conditioned by the extent to Hesitation might be permissable in which they could act in concert with As long as Russia was engaged in active operations in Finland the date the formulation of a policy but sure-Sweden and Norway.
thely not in its execution. at which Germany could obtain. material advantages of her partner- oil-was being ship-particularly postponed.
--
It was in the interests of the Allies
that
was
to maintain the resistance of Finland. It must be assumed from the de- olalon of the Supreme War Council the sending of a force practicable and desirable. From that action, of the Allica moment "the should have been clear cut and de- cisiva.
NEXT CHANGE AT THE
KING'S
ONE OF THE TEN BEST PICTURES OF THE YEAR!
OVERWHELMING
in Universal
Appeal
Imparting that rare thrill
that comes when a great, director, a great cast and a great story come together!
FRANK CAPRA'S
Mr.Smith Goes To Washington
PATHUR.
CUANDO RAINS - LOWZNO
ARNOLD SOY P
THOMAS MILE!! SEULAT GONE!!
STEWARE
to
AIR FORCE OPPORTUNITY Events had shown that it was in- deed unfortunate that the Allies had allowed their intended initiative be wrested from them. It was known to everybody that the need for men was urgent. It was only three weeks after the 'decision taken by the Su- the preme War Council, and when Finnish Government were already ac tually in touch with Moscow that they were informed that the despatch of men as well as materials was contin- gent on a further appeal being made by them.
*
Any infringement of their rights was quite unthinkabla,
¿LIKE TO BE SURE The opposition, added Mr. Attlee, were not in a position to say that the British Government could have sent more with safety but he would like to be certain that what was sent was sent in time and without unnecessary. delay.
He hoped the example of this coun- try in helping in the reconstruction of Finland would be followed by others.
:
Mr. Attles asked if Britain was doing all they could on the diploma tle field, the military field and the Chamberlain
economic field. · Mr. Hore-Belisha next referred to He agreed with the fact that the Norwegian Foreign that the lesson they must learn from Minister had stated that the request Finland was that if they wanted. to was made to them to allow troops defeat aggression they must stand, to- through only when the Soviet-Finnish gether. peace talks were already under way,
There was uniformity of opinion that powerful onslaughts from the air could have broken the Russian on- slaught.
None of the objections raised to the despatch of troops could have pre- vented the sending of squadrons of the R.A.F.
"Would it not have been worth one month's output from our factories of aeroplanes to save the situation?"
ALLIED POLICY
The Allies did not fall in their policy, which was deliberate and well conceived, nor in their preparations for giving effect to that policy, but if they failed it was because they were not détermined enough and not quick enough in executing their own decl- sions.
Britain and France hesitated. The dnomy acted. Finland was lost. To-day the effects in Europe were everywhere apparent. There were moves towards new alignments. The war might be static but Hitler and his emissaries were busy.
BUICIDAL TO. SIT IDLE
He trusted they were prepared to resist any attack Hitler might maké He declared, however, upon them. that a policy of sitting quiet would be suicidal and that the initiative must not be left with Hitler:
They must use their material and human resources in the best possible way.
He said the troops had to be spe- cially selected and equipped to work in deep snow. Equipment had to be procured from another country and transport had to be made ready.
It was not easy to pick up a number of ships at a moment's notice and make them ready for such an expedi- tion. Nevertheless it was done. Every- thing was arranged according to a definite timetable.
WHY IT NEVER SAILED Reason for the Finns' hesitation to make an appeal for assistance was not because the expedition was too small or too late. It was neither hesitation nor vaccilation. Only reason the 'ex- pedition never sailed was because" when the time came the Finns could not-make an appeal because Sweden and Norway flatly refused to allow troops to pass through their coun- tries.
the
Replying to the criticism that Britain might have sent planes, Mr. Chamberlain said when Finns requested large quantities bo of bombers these could only taken from the home defence or the B.E.F. -
am-
sympathetically Nevertheless we considered the appeal, but bombers could not operate without prepara- tion for ground staff, reserve munition and means of repair.
BOMBERS 'SENT They must be able to operate con- We were As regards coal, he considered too tinuously from Finland.
for ready to supply the crews many miners were unemployed wartime. The transport system was number of bombing planes if wasteful and they should make better appeal was to be made, but by that use of rail, road, canal and sea trans- time we knew that negotiations, were. port. A great deal more direction going on. We were not
fighting, would continue was wanted there.
and
a
an
sure
the
could and of not contemplate sending large num- re-bers precious to ourselves if, after .
all, we found they failed to save the Finns, and we could not get back again.
They wanted greater utilisation their manpower, and Mr. Attlee minded the House that there were still 1,400,000 unemployed.
Premier's Reply
Mr. Chamberlain, replying to the debate, and referring to an allegation by Mr. Hugh Dalton (Labour) that Norway had tolerated the violations of her neutrality by German warships sald that the British Navy and Alṛ force had kept a constant and con- tinuous watch on Norwegian waters to see if German warships were violat foing them and had we been able to establish a single case of that kind we would not have hesitated ourselves to enter those territorial waters and attack such a ship. (Cheers).
Mr. Hore-Bellaha asked whether they could not counter-act the no- celerating fondanoy - of neutrals compound with Germany. Total war must be won by total means.
MUST USE STRENGTH He pointed out that the Nazi-Soviet pact had, repelled the sympathies of Italy and Japan with Germany, and it was evident now that Germany set great store by the rehabilitation of her friendships.
It would Indeed be an unfortunato Idenlogies. development
against
and Fran
Dealing with criticisms regarding the Finnish war, Mr. Chamberlain described Sir Archibald Sinclair's speech as peevish and perverse.
them
Even so, in response to an appeal the from the Finnish Minister at last moment, we did send what bom- 'bers we could.
"Subject to the responsibility of winning the war against our own In enemy, we did all we could the time. (Chears). On the question of production Mr. Chamberlain said he was convinced that during the next fortnight the House would be able to see an ap- preciable increase in the production of goods. -
Although differences had been expressed that a
-afternoon, these wore on the surface, of an underly Ing unity of partion. (Cheers). WHAT PEACE SHOULD BE Mr. Chamberlain said he accepted. He pointed out that the question of, sending valunteers, never could and subscribed to the words of Pre- hav played:
part in any sident Roosevelt the other day
ave been garding at a peace should be.. told that trained He concluded: ““When we had not - Miöld-Marshal embarked on war: I did my best to
Volu
avert war. Now that I have entered the struggle shall be just as defere mined and Just as persistent achieving the purpose; we¬have: 1 mind as I was. In trying to keep the dồn was | peace to before
Ime | (Cheers)
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