1940-10-09 — Page 19

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THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 9, 1940.

C Leary, Saptome South

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.

was now making his way across the desert towards them.

"All I will gay is that We ȧre, doing our best and there, as here, we feel a good deal better than we did some time ago.".

to get involved in a long sanguinary conflict with Vichy Erench.

and some errors which had been made the subject of disciplinary act on 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 we 'e given to stop them at Casablanca. These efforts failed _but_the_Vinly Foruisers were prevented from carrying out their further (pur- poses of attacking 'Dualà. · Of the four French vessels con-

Referring to the Dakar episode, Mr. Churchill, said this operation was primarily French and though they were ready to give it # measure of support which might, in certain circumstances, have been decisive they were no more. anxious than General de Gaulle cerned, two succeeded in rogain- anding Daisar while the other two- the were overtaken by British crui- "That General de Gaulle was guaded to return to Casablanca sers and were induced :and per- right in believing the majority in without any actual violence. Dakar were favourable to Free for themselves in due course Frenchmen I have no doubt. In- by practical experience.”

deed I think his judgment Declaring that they must have been found extremely sure-footed has a shelter with sleeping bunks for every person in areas liable and our opinion of him has been, enhanced by everything we have to constant attack, in the shortest seen of his conduct in circum- possible time, Mr. Churchill an- stances peculiarly and perplexing- nounced that large schemes ly dimcult.

He had declared he would raze our cities to the ground and since then he has been try-were already on foot for pro- ing to carry out his full purpose.

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 have been able to form, on what is necessarily to some extent a matter of speculation, is that after severe mauling on August 15, the German short- range dive-bombers, of which there are several hun- dred, have been kept carefully out of the fight.

This may be because they are being held in reserve to play their part in the general plan of invasion or to reappear in other theatres of war,

viding food and 'hot drinks for those who sleep in shelters nnd also for entertainment through the winter ‘evenings.

Compulsory Insurance

Widespread organisations for relief of those whose homes were smitten were already in being and were being expanded.

Larger Cause

After paying this tribute to the judgment of General de Gaulic, Mr. Churchill said Government-

had no intention Whatever of

as

abandoning General de Gaulle's cause until it was marged, merged it would be, in the larger cause of France;

The whole situation at Dakar The Chancellor of the Exche- was transformed in a most un- quer had virtually completed pre- favourable manner by the arrival paration of a bill for nationwide there of three French cruisers compulsory insurance against and three destroyers which car- damage to property from the ried with ma-enemy's fire. (Cheers). Every-Vichy partisans evidently of a

one could be covered and covered most bitter type. with retrospective effect from the

These partisans were beginning of the war.

sent to overawe the population and to guard the defences.

Declaring that neither by terial destruction nor by slaughter would the people of the British Empire be turned from their in- exorable purpose, Mr. Churchill went on to spark of the remark- able spirit of the people who had suffered by German fright- fulness.

We have, therefore, to deal with the long-range heavy Ger- man bombers alone. It would seem that taking day and night machines together, 400 of these

"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 pass-cry '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,

them a number

Efforts Failed

af

The policy which His Majesty's Government had been pursuing

British ships and shore batteries The fight which ensued between

inch guns of the damaged Riche- at Dakar, reinforced with the 16- lieu, was pretty stiff.

attacked

Two Vichy stibmarines which

The crew the fleet were sunk::

saved.

of one were "happily

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 large cruiser suffered damage which, though it had not pre- vented them steaming fighting, would

require

and

con.

siderable 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.

All Britain sought was that Spain should not ..become channel of supply to our mor- tal foe.

ន

Britain looked forward to see towards the Vichy French war-Spain take her rightful place as a "we shall be able to prove to ships was not to interfere with Mediterranean power and a lead- all that Hitler's act of mass ter- them unless they appeared to being and famous

member of the

ror against the British nation proceeding to an enemy controlled family of Europe and Christen- has falled ae conspicuously as port. By a series of accidents dom. Reuter. his 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. Musso-sion the Prime Minister declared: we have had a steady decline in lini bad some cxperiences ahead"Do not let us be lured into sup- casualtics and in damage to of him which he did not foresee posing that the danger is past. property.

at the time when he thought Speaking of the Dakar inclit safe and profitable to dent, Mr. Churchill said that by stab the stricken and prostrats 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' tjon; or are now subject, to must be to inflict the maximum. formal enquiries, neither the harm upon the war-making ca- First Sea Lord nor the Inner pacity of Germany and that was Cabinet were informed of the the only object we shall pursue, approach of. French warships to the Straits of Gibraltar until it 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 long- 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, ̈·

"On the contrary, unweary- ing vigilance and the swift and steady strengthening of our forces by land, sea and air which is In progress munt at all costs be - maintained, "The enemy has certainly got plans to throw half a million men in a single night on to the salt waters or into it." (Laughter),

Mr. Churchill declared that the main reason why an invasion had not been attempted up to the pre- Mr. Churchill said that the Gersent was the succession of brilliant mans claimed to have discharged victories gained by British fight- 22,000 tons of explosives upon er aircraft. Britain since the beginning of the war. They claimed that on last Thursday week, 251 tons were thrown upon London in a single night. On that particular night, 180 persons were killed.

German Bombing...

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

This was a tremendous fact.. These victories of the Air Force enabled the Navy, which was now, receiving, very great reinforce- ments, apart altogether from the American destroyers now coming mpidly. into service, to assert its Mr. Churchill declared that it sure and well tried power. would take ten years at the pre- In the air, both in fighters and sent rate for half of the houses of bombers, we were at this moment;"

after all these months of battle, actually and relatively, than we were in ten years May.

That was to say that it took a ton of bombs to kill three-quar ters of a person. Therefore the "I hesitate to say anything of

deadliness of attack in this war an optimistic nature because our appeared to be only one-thir:

teenth of that of 1914-18... people do not mind being told the

Mr. Churchill gave Britain's worst but they resent anything in

500!hing the nature' of

shelter system as an explanation. state- ments which are not borne out by events and, after all, war is full of unpleasant surprizes. On the whole, however, we may, I think, in all resolve reach the provision- al conclusion that the German to happen to Hitler and the Nazi average effort against this coun- regime before even try absorbs, a very considerable were over (cheers). part of their potential strength. I should not like to say we have the measure of their power, but we feel more corifident; about it than ave have ever been before."

Up to last Saturday, air raid, casualties were about 8,500 kill ed and 13,000 wounded.

quite a lot of things were going substantially stronger, London to be demolished but

Sterile Controversy

The pilot situation was rapidly Improving.

No-one, Mr. Churchill went mon, had ever pretended that woj could overtake Germany's 'Im mense lead in the first year for 60 of war. 1.

Asking his hearers not to go. into a sterile controversy on the subject of what were or were not reprisals, : Mr. Churchill declarci | that no-one must look forward to up. We must give ourselves a "We have a long lapse to make, any relief from bombing, merely chance. Perhaps it will be pos- from winter weather but he add-gible to make a more satisfactory, statement on this subject at this time, next year.”-

Since heavy raiding began on September 7, the figures of kill

ed: ed and seriously wounded had' steadily dealined from over 6,000 In the first week to. Just about 6,000 In the second, about 4,000 In the third, and 3,000 last week:

“We Can Take It” Destruction of property, how- ever, had been considerable though it was easy to get oxaggerated impression even in that mattor

an

that it is at present."

No Prophecies

"It may be that some -new method will be devised to make. the wholesale bombing of the fogs more exciting to the enemy of the British armies in the Mid- civilian popillation by night or in Roferring to the reinforcement

dle: 'East and elsowhore, Mr. Deploring' that she would not Churchill said that he would foroadow any of these mea. "moke "no prophecies about what oures Mr. Churchill, sald, amid 'would happen when the British,, laughter and thears: "{t would. Australian, New Zealand, Indian be much better for us to allow"; and · "Egyptlan... troops.come to Cour visitors to find them out close grips with the invader", who

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