1940-05-11 — Page 8

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 11, 1940

HOUR HAS COME WHEN WE SHALL BE PUT TO THE TEST STOP PRESS TEL. 20022 or 33993

-MR. CHAMBERLAIN

LONDON, TO-DAY, MR. NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN, WHO LAST NIGHT RESIGNED THE PREMIERSHIP, BROADCAST TO THE COUNTRY, SAYING: “EARLY THIS MORNING, WITHOUT WARNING OR EXCUSE, HITLER ADDED ANOTHER TO THE HORRI- BLE CRIMES WHICH HAVE ALREADY – DIS- GRACED HIS NAME BY HIS SUDDEN ATTACK ON HOLLAND, BELGIUM AND LUXEMBURG. "In all history no other man has been responsible for such hideous total human suffering and misery as he.

"He has chosen a moment when perhaps it seemed to him that this country was entangled in the throes of a political crisis and when he might find it divid- ed against itself.

"If he has counted on our internal differences to help him, he has mis- calculated the mind of this people.

"I am not now going to make any .comment on the debate in the Commons which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday last, but when it was over. I had no doubt in my mind that some be new and drastic action must taken if confidence, was to be re stored to the Commons and the war carried on with the vigour, and energy which are essential to vic. tory.

"What was that action to be?

"It was clear that at this critical moment in the war what was need- ed was the formation of a govern- ment which would include members of the Labour and Liberal opposi- tions and thus present a united front to the enemy.

My Duty. Plain

"What had to be ascertained was the conditions which would be ne- cessary to enable such a united gov- ernment to be formed, and to this question I devoted myself with the assistance of some of my colleagues yesterday afternoon.

"By the afternoon of to-day it was apparent that essential unity another could be secured under Prime Minister though not under myself.

"In those circumstances my duty was plain. I sought an audience of the King this evening and tendered to him my resignation, which His Majesty has been pleased to accept. "His Majesty has now entrusted to my friend and colleague, Mr. Win ston Churchill, the task of forming a national new administration on a basis, and in this task no doubt he will be succèssful.

In War Cabinet

|

"As long as I believed there was a chance for preserving peace honour- When the ably, I strove to take it. last hope vanished and war could no longer be avoided, Į strove equally hard to wage it with all my might.

"Perhaps you will remember in my broadcast on September 3 I told you we should be fighting against evil things.

Words Insufficient

"My words proved to be insut- "For this purpose my other col-ficient to describe the vileness of leagues in the Government have in-those who have now staked every- timated to me that they will place thing on the great battle just be- their resignations in, Mr. Churchill's ginning. hands but they will of course retain their present offices pending the ap- pointment of a new Government.

Mr. "I should perhaps say Churchill has expressed to me his strong, desire that I should be a mem- ber of the War Cabinet, and I have told him I will gladly give him any assistance I can in that.capacity.

"Now, as this is my last message to you from No. 10 Downing Street, there are one or two things I should like to say to you.

"During the parlod, It is almost three years, I have been, Prime Minister, I have borne a heavy load of anxiety and responsibility,

"Perhaps it may at least be some

to rellef

know that

this battle, though it may last for days, even weeks, has ended the period of waiting, uncertainty. .

AN ELECTRIC SHOCK FOR U.S.

sion in the United States.

Washington, To-day. Within 12 hours of the German in- was vasion of the Low Countries it already apparent that the new ag- "For the hour has come when wo are to be put to the test, as the in-gression had made a profound impres- nocent people of Holland, Belgium and France are beginning to be fest- ed already, and you and I must rally behind our new leader and, with united strength and with unshake able courage, fight and work until this wild beast that has sprung upon us out of his lair, be finally disarmed and overthrown."-Reuter.

Printed and Published for the Proprietors, The Newspaper Enterprise Ltd., by GORDON CADE BURNETT, 3a, Wyndham Street. Victoria, Hong "Kong."

The latest German stroke,

apart from questions of general morality, hits hard and in a personal sense many prominent Americans of Dutch ancestry, as for instance, President Roosevelt and Senator Vandenburg.

Moreover, the fact that none have striven harder to maintain impartial neutrality than Belgium and Holland, has brought home with the swiftness of an electric shock the ruthlessness of Germany's war and political ma ching-Reuter.

[SPECIAL TO “SUNDAY HERALD"]

London, To-day.

The Admiralty has issued categorical denial of the report attributed. to Madrid Radio that the Navy has closed the Mediter- ranean at Gibralter.-Havas.