1958-01-25 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1958,

The more you tell that man about the war, the more you hinder the winning of it..

WINSTON

EXPLODES:

THIS IS PURE DEFEATISM"

Drawing by WHITEAR

"You need not be afraid they will not fight," I replied. "Ot course they will fight. I am enly erguing that we should de ride the price we are prepared te pay and can afford to pay for the delence of the Middle Enst."

even

"You would General Smuts

D

at

Into

frrelevant buck-

--- London. Express Service).

The Unsines of War is nubitihə a

by Hutchinsona, price 15L,

NEXT WEEK

The Conspiracy

Of Brass Hats

COMMENTARY

FRANKOWE N

BY

it be forced upon him, what he had said dinner to the Prime Minister, remark- stream should and that, even in the unlikely about war 'being a contest of big as he did so. "The mure waters.

then you tell that

man event of our having to clear cut wills, and so forth. He

about the mean said: "I will tell you An of Egypt, it would not

ex- war, the more you hinder the defeat, for there

It." wero other perience I once had. In, April winning of Iines on which we could stand, 1918, I was not In the War Nobody who knew Brooke or was Minister of the Prime Minister would take flashed and he shouted: "Wavell to prevent the Germans break Cabinet I

the Indian Ocean Munitions. But 1 put in Buch remark as 100 per cent has 400,000 men. It vier lost in the per

memorandum upon the action of serious, any more than I did. Egypt, blood will dow. I will and the Persian Gulf,

the British Army. As you but we were always nervous of have Bring parties to shoot the

At this he fairly exploded. know, Haig wanted to fall back feeding a new Idea Into that generala."

"This comes as a dash of light- to the sea if the Germans broke fertile brain in chay it might I argued that he lead us away from the main ring to me," he exclained. "I through. never heard such ideas. War is should fall back, with the mass a contest of wills. It is pure of the French armies, on Paris. defeatism to speak as you have Then Foch owept all that aside.

He said, 'We shall do neither done.”

be launched

hia

counter-

wha not consider offensive and the situation

defeatist, saved. That has always been But his wrath was not ap- would you?" I asked. "No," he lesson to me." I said: "I think HE Prime Minister had invited me to said he had changed his mind

pensed. He accused me of de- replied. "Well," I said, "have you were right to consider the for he not see why be

thinking you read the speech he made plan for withdrawal-it did not Chequers for the night of Sunday, April 21, sul dive us extiner snurr or possible that heyit might be yesterday? He talked about necessarily imply that we would VEN as late as the end of time, ward off the Nazis

must get these sage possibilities. It is that was the right moment to April.

withdraw. lost; he suld thui

It happened that 1941; I motored down from London with cigars for any Dermass.

1941 British from those treasured olifields suck Idens oul of my head-

to necessary

calculate tham

Foch had General Ismay, Military Secretary to the War He then tackled Brookte about determination

the Military Staff, opinion about of Iraq and Persia. was whint was quite calmly in order to arrive attacks, and deferice

the of

United needed.

Hitler's threatened invasion Cabinet, and we arrived at about 7 p.m. I was the

at the prico we are prepared to insight to see it?

In fact, that North African Kingdom. Brooke repeated his

of this country was that "he desert shore line was a 'life. pay." talking to one of his secretaries when Mr estimate of the scale of German When he paused at last, I said

Reverting to Egypt, he said, might yet. come!". I fully agreed with what he said

The others had sat silent The Germen advance "in

line. In this appreciation of Churchill appeared in his "rompers," as he called attack we should be prepared tr

The Prime Minister about determination, and that through all this and Brooke had Cyrenaica was the quintessence. meet,

Thus, ..General his accusations not intervened on my alde, ale of generalship.

Kennedy the vital needs of his strange one-piece dark grey suit fitted with brushed this aside, and said to be had based

a global him that he need not be fright upon a misconception of

It is general tells today of a dinner ho war plan, Churchill was in- the though. I knew I had said ship we need in Egypt." zip fasteners.

exed about his tanks and his thoughts that were in my head; nothing with which he did not

attended on Sunday, April finitely shrewder than his equipment very soon he would that it did not mean defentiam agree. Perhaps he felt it use- "My plan for winning the war 27, of that year, which was Service Chlefs' advisers.

cuse us less to do so. I thought of is this," he said a little later given by the Prime Minister, it have enough men to handle to consider the worst

It was not A global war.. well as other possibilities-that Haig's plans for possible with

"One thousand tons of bombs Winston Churchill, at so yet, though it would de- so well from the factories. He was a normal function of any drawals in France, and of

a night on GermanyWO comamorider or of any staff. then asked my opinion,

Chequers. Also present there velop that way within two other similar plans in other only averagkis 60 now--and campaigns. But I felt that the 20,000 tanks or so, ready to land was General Sir Alan Brooke, months when Hitler launched argument had gone on long all along the consts of Europe" then Commander-in-Chief his vast assault on Russia In enough, end that we were hav

Home Forces, and a discus- mid-June 1941, And then, Ing a row about a hypothetical

sion developed about the within six months more, the case which was not of im- importance. mediato

J Alma

defence of the United King- war circle of the world would myself

dom, for baylog

be completed, when Japan the argument at all.

Both Brooke and Kennedy would seize the opportunity when the Prime Minister was At about 3 0.02 Churchill maintained that our military of her neighbour's troubles obviously tired and unreason, announced that it was time for able.

to

In his hand he carried a speech which he was

were still broadest that evening. The secretaries working on it and were busy telophoning to London to cheek various points.

When I had had a bath I Commander-in-Chief, Home

downstairs to listen Forces on his right

--the

came

to the broadcast. A few others were Margenson, minutes before 9 p.m. the Iamay, Lindemann, Mra Prime Minister walked Randolph Churchill and two through to his study, where secretaries.

the microphone was

stalled: he apologised for First we discussed, the keeping 115 waiting at Prime Minister's speech. dinner.

that He said that, in his broad- remarking duty came first. When he cast, he had had the Ameri- In Anished the speech, cans chiefly in mind. Tele. which he had delivered grans began to come in

and little almost at once, quietly and rhetoric, he joined us again, brought to Churchill.

political reaction in America

been

and had

good

and from Winant Harriman.

with

wern The

and we went into dinner at 10 p.m. I sat on his loft, General Sir Alan Brooke, messages of congratulation

caine

the stuff that was coming out

THE

BUSINESS

OF WAR

by Major-General

SIR JOHN

KENNEDY

·Director at Military Oper» tlons 1940.4), Assistant Chat of imperio) General Statt (Operation end Intelligence) 1943-45,

I said believed our forces added that, surely, he was plan Presently the Prime at home were now below their aware that Wavell had a

withdrawal from Egypt proper level. I felt we should for Minister turned to me and make up our minds how much usked me if I'd ruther be in we ought to have at home and Wavell's shoes

in then not send any more away, ihe consequences General Rommel's.

Sir whatever

might be in other places which, Archibald Wavell was then jo the ultimate resort, were less

because East. I replied: "I'd rather need not be anxious

or

SANDEMAN Commander-in-Chief, Middle important. He replied that

SCOTCH WHISK

The

King of Whiskies

be in any British general's the limitation of shipping would sending too shoes than in any German's Prevent us from

much away. Your ships have

o matter what hole he already been enough," sald might be in." "A very Brooke, to taice too much away good answer," said Marges. from home."

son, and the Prime Minister 'The Prime Minister then turned" grunted approval. (When the discussion to Egypt and told Dill about this later, he asked me what I thought of the said that, on his advice, situation there. I said I did not Churchill had cut out of his feel much anxiety about the im- mediale future. Eventually speech a sentence to the everything would depend upon cffect that he would rather what we could do to cut be in Wavell's shoes than Gerug Jae, of communications & CROSS the Mediterraneas, and Rommel's.)

through the desert, and I added that what we had done so far to interrupt their communica- tions was not enough.

Good stuff

the

I said that, In time, if we did not interrupt their communica- Churchill called' contiguously tons, the Germans might bring for more champagne, remarking such a scale of attack to boar

It was very good stuff. He said on Egypt, from cast and west, he wanted to see, the Germans that we would be out of Cyrenaica' quickly

unable

blamed

started

Very badly

bed, and, coming up to me, he strength here was below the to make her own plunder said "I am going. to have safety lava! (which was also grab.

I managed to aroid! being breakfast in bed—I advise you than the official estimate of It would not be true to say provoked Into losing my temper. to do the same."

Ceneral Sir John Dill, Chief that Churchill foresaw,

It was a new experience for me

!

the links in this 10 bo dubbed a defentist, and I I certainly cams out of this of Imperial General Staff). all can remember, even at this dis- evening very badly, and I It was the view of Churchill chain of destiny, It would tance of time, my blazing anger blamed

myselt for haying that we could spare some of be true to say that he con- and the dimculty of repressing started such an argument at the our tanks from home to send tinually pondered just tekere it. I had not yet learned that dinner table. I. did

at least to the British Eighth Army, was Hitler going to unleash This was the Prime Minister's learn that a discussion with the then fighting a

scores desperate those.

of partzer reproach, from which nobody Prime Minister in the presence was immune. I said no more, of others was a very,

the divisions which he had been different holding battle along and we got up from the table, matter from one in private..

withdrawing desert Mediterranean shore systematically of Cyrenaica.

for months past from Wes- It was now about midnight,

Later, I realised the wisdom and we retired to

For Churchill had a fixa tern Europe. the hall, of the technique which Brooke tion about hanging on to Perhaps their destination where we stood round the fire, acquired after many stormy and the conversation went back passages, with the Prime Minis- Egypt, the Suez Canal and was-the Balkans? The Cau to tanks. Presently we went ter. Brooke found it an In the Middle East. Only thus casus? Turkey and the

to the Prime Minister's study, valuable

to rule over Tell could we keep our own Middle East? Who knew? more than was

effective communication with Well, at any rate, insisted Churchill walked up and solutely necessary. 1 remein-

Churchill

It had berdine 'n well-known Idtorynetary of the Prime Minister's so talk of shooting generals, flut, or course, nobody took it literally, or as other that a vent for duty freling down. From thine to time be ber hin, once scoring out nina- India, Australasia and the wise old Winston, hold on to

came up to me, and repeated tenths of the draft of a minute Far East and, at the same that lifeline of our own!

exasperatioti.

FERDINAND

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

to

HYPNOTIC

he provide adequate forces for Ita had thought of giving up cigars defence. till they were put, and then

Sole Agent: DODWELL & CO., LTD. had decided to give up

snuit Churchill flushed at this and instead. A few days later he lost his temper. HL eyes

Worth Its Brice in

Leica

QUALITY

PRECISION PERFORMANCE

MODEL

وس

TELEPATHIC PROJECTIONT

AND HE WAVEDI

By Mik

By Lee Folk' and Phil Davis

TRICK? I'LL SUE THE

CITY FOR-FOR

*- FOR WHAT?

"Early bird"""

Your cargo

10.7

SWISSAIR

There's More than Maak

about CADBURY'S

HUNT KONUS Favourite Chocolates,

I CHECKED THEIR

AGREE

WE DIDN'T

STORIES INPNOTICALLY) ON A

· HUSBAND PREAMED UP THIS

DREAM ITI

CHIEF. ALL AGREE

FAIRY

TALE-

YESI

I THINK THIS GIRL AND HER

| YARN? THEN MR.ROCKS READ ABOUT IT AND THOUGHT HED

TRY THE SAME

TRICK!

M3

ON SALLAT

LEADING PHOTO BLADERS

UNIVERSAL MERCANTILE CO:LTD.:

Own" #XC_Herplady. Velonbane: 23832-33447-

JOHNNY HAZARD

„THIS IS TUA BOK, OUR TƏ HOUSE BOY ÉVETINOVI YOU YOUR QUARTERS, AND THEN WE'LL MEET IN THE BRIEFING ROOMI THAT'S WYSERE IND FLANI QURUTE SHOOTING SCHEDULE SE

-TMA BOK HONORED.

› AT HEY GUESTS' TO GRACE HIS || HUMBLE HOKERÉMOLD/ „COISE, PLEASE T

THIS MISSY'S ROCIAL BEST

ONE IH HOUSE{]

WOW! T'P SURE MATE TO:

· SEE THE WORSTŹ: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT

KAINST

By Frank Robbins

-IS OPEN PARASOL LIKE - SO, MISSY HAWKES/ WHEN SUN BLESS US, KEEP ---- CLOSE/ VERY HEALTHY, NOW,

IF YOU LIKE YOUR 'HEALTH IN BIS, “UNEALTHY POSES,

AUSTIN

have,

A WIDE KANCE

OF

HOME LEAVE

METRO CARS (H.K.) LTD.