1958-02-01 — Page 6

THE

BUSINESS

OF

TALİ

WAR

WHEN

THE CHINA - MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY

1968.

OMDNU AU 13 12 11 52 B

GO BEHIND MY BACK-

and I'LL HAVE

HAVE YOU

YOU OUT!

General Ironside warns Hore-Belisha

I went back to the War Office in October 1938, Mr Hore-Belisha had been Secretary of State for about two years. In his first year of office he had, in effect, dismissed the military members of the Army Council, because he considered them to be too old and too unprogressive, and had installed a younger team, headed by Lord Gort as Chief of the, Imperial General Staff.

He took a keen personal-

interest in all the higher the map" in the publle Belisha could not last. Some of military appointments, exer-eye.

cising, to the utmost, the Secretary of State's con- stitutional powers of in- dividual selection through the Military Secretary.

But

Apparent

Gort's unsuitability for the post soon became apparent to all. In the War

us believed that Horc-Bellsha would find himself overshadow- ed by Ironside in the Cabinet Comells, and that he would soon find a way to got rid of him. Others felt the betting was would get rld of Hore-Belisha. the other way, and that Ironside They were right.

Ing. But before he looked at the

papers he gave me an account

On Ironaldo's first morning He was by far the most Office this fine fighting in the War Offee I went to see active Secretary of State soldier was like a fish out him in his room to brief him for the War Office had had for of water. When I arrived. his first Chic-of-Staff

meet- many years. He did much relations were already con- that was good for the siderably strained between Army, and he became popu- him and Hore-Bellaha; their lar with the rank and file. mutual dislike increased us But ho was not regarded time went on. by the senior officers as & good Secretary of State:

war

and on

many months. So far as I could sco Hore-Belisha bore по

I

to

of the Interview he had had with Hore-Belisin.

Slicking out his enormous forefinger, and banging the edge of his table with it as he spoke, he delivered himself in terms something like these:

“My terms'

Lendon Express Servic

after dinner, I met Hors-Belisha all letters telling them they must on his way out. He said: "You go. know, Kennedy, I think we've

Kere-Balliha and Olli la Franos, 1939.

WAS THERE A

CONSPIRACY OF

BRASS-HATS?

I SUPPOSE SO...

sald:

sce

by Major-General

SIR JOHN

criticisms of the defences which At the meeting Ironside Hore-Bellsha had made in the Jack Gort knows nothing_about

the defences. Let me go and Cabinet after his visit to won this war it we only hold "I knew we had to prepare B, as well as further criticisms the front and report, on and sick it out, and don't go for war when I came to

the by Dominion Ministers who bad War Onec.. I can get things also made a tour of the front, done on I got them done. Look

"Now that I have at all the concessions I got 1 defences myself"

in to help the Belgians and the Dutch. I'm going over to France noxt week; would you like to como?" I said I would love to.

told

soon

Office."

Convinced

Q

DEN RUMAHANUME

KENNEDY

$5500

time tho By the

Hare-Belisha of those who came, even many

"Ironside then sent tele- owed him their promotion Gart had been barely

the ram to Gort. 'Secretary of disliked him and distrusted speaking terms for

State wishes me to inspect' and Iron- his judgment.

got the equipment. I said that if gile, u intend to tell the report, upon defences. Natural- Gort. ly this telegram upset "I said, 'Now, Mr Bellsha, I

I got the money I was not going The Military Attache met: us

thint Cabinet quite straight

back ha to spend it on uniforms You There was a widespread animosity to Gort, but he have formed a better opinion of

Hore-Beitsha is wrong. I think When Ironside came

to see me, at Le Bourget, There was no love fellows do not understand the hell have to go. It is time we come immediately. impression among most of was obviously well aware you during the last few weeks.

him and Hore- politician's role, I choose I had a better chap in the War and said: 'All France le the highly placed and of Gort's distrust and dis- You have behaved extremely lost between

Hoa tulo dịch.

uproar at your criticism of tho I go and see Ind well during the crisis, and I Belisha.

defences.' responsible officera, es like of himself.

have changed my mind about water," said Haro-Ballsha; "I momĖS,

colleagues when necessary. When pecially among those who

dealings with you. But understand this and can't think why Curt wantal i take up a thing, it gets done. In my own

here" The Milliary At You have no idea of the oppost- worked with him at the Hore-Belisha,

"Well,' said I, I hope you found let us be quite clear about it him

War nover asked to become CIGS, tache, on the other hand,

will put them right.' Then, to War Office, that he was too him anything but courteous and

Office 15 everything I have

On December 10 I lunched my Batonishment, Irenside anld, much concerned with his charming (and he had consider and I accept it only on condillon me that he felt it was good for tlon I have met in the

No-1 agree with them, and he that you are perfectly frank his soul to meet Hore-Belisha able charm when he cared

with Ironside.

defences produced charts of own advertisement, and they exercise it), and I could not but with me, that you never go bo occasionally; he disliked him so tried to do. It has been a con-

good stent struggle. regarded his speeches on admire his subtle brain. But hind my back, or speak con- much that it was a very

He went over the points of which showed a great number "My impression of the front the pill-box business, and fold of completed works." Army Estimates in the was acutely conscious of the trary to or without my advice exercise; in self-control.

on any military matter. It I

that they are working on me Gert was furious, not only And you doing that, 1 will bave House of Commons as much animosity felt towards him by

There at the criticism of his defensive We talked about Churchill you out, or I will go. These

quite the wrong lines,

a bit, Hore-Delisha sald too optimistic; they looked practically every senior officer. on them as positively mis-

are my terms, and you must ac-

ought to be hundreds of pill- arrangements, but even more so for

of the way in which that he could not have served cept them. I always told, Jack

boxes every hundred yards it because

the critician had been made under him as a Minister even if leading.

Gort," he went on, "that he

necessary."

not to him direct, but to the he had been invited to do so; he should have had a charter like is os that with Hore-Belisha-It

On December 3. I had a long Army Council and the Cabinet could not have tolerated never in the absence of the CIGS. being allowed to exorcise the the only way."

tall with Ironside, die had just gort had become quite

Minister. con- proper functions of

the returned from France, where he vinced that Hore-Belisha was He had a poor opinion of

ol quality of the then House had

investigating the trying to unseat him.

Commons, but he thought that it at frat hand, that he was out Hore-Bellaba had misunder- it feeling in the country against stood what Gamelin had said to Winston became strong enough to help in every way, these him about the time it took to the House would "rise to the actions came to be regarded as symbolical of his reputed ifch bulld pill-box-Hore-Belisha occasion."

to interfere.

made When he

Gort CIGS, Hore-Belisha no doubt

considered that it would

be

On September 3, the Cabinet decided that Gort was to

of the Commander-in-Chief Field Force, and General Iron-

Bide was to replace him CIGS.

Most of us felt that the com- help to "put the Army on bination of Ironside and Hare-

FERDINAND

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

JOHNNY HAZARD

-ISSUING PROTESTS TO

"THE FOREIGN PRESS ABOUT THIS BOGUS MONE COMPANY ON OUR BER IS SIMPLLC, "MAJOR, NET", SUNG/" BUT YOUR SECOND BUSGESTION.T

MARGE--SOMETHING -ES ON OUR ROOF! IT LOOKS LIKE--- A HORSE!

‘IE CATON THAM RED-HANDED" INVADING-OUR- "AIR, GENERAL ?-

FOR THAT, I PERSONALLY MIL VOLUNTEER/

- AS A FUER AND HEAD OF COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE, I PAM IN A CHOICE POSITION -TO ACCOMPLISH. TULS

|· DIFFICULT FEAT(-I-SHALL

RETURN, WITH LESTWA BOK

10 SOUTH KOETAR

On November 8, as I was go- the War Office ing back into

DON'T BE ALARMEN LADIES, REMAIN QUIET, AND NOTHING WILL, HAPPEN TO

YOU

82-16

:

During the journey back to is Paris after his visit to the front, Hore-Belisha naked me to join him in his car. He began by des cribing how he had got rid of the Army Counell

of

"They were an awful set

how duda. You have no ideo impossible they were. They had to be got rid of. I wrote them

By Mik

By Lee Falk and Phil Davis

By Frank Robbina

AND LIVE WITH THIS "MOVE COMPANY"? THEN I SHALL ARRANGE TO DELIVER HERE ONE OR MORE

OF THEIR PLANES WITH CAPTURED ALLIED PLOTS! THAT WILL PROVE

OUR CLAIM TO THE WORLD! -

been

to VIENNA..

had thought he said three days. whereas Gamelin had said three wocks.

Directes af Military Opera‹ Flema 1948-43, Amistant

• Chief of Impezṭai General. Stett (Operations and Extetilpanco) 1941-43.

Very kind

I declared that I thought Churchill's regime had entirely said to him," Ironside con- justified itself, in spite of mis- tinued, "that he could not speak lakes, If only for two things; the

But he was always extremely French wall enough for military first, the way in which he had kind to me; for all his fads and discussions. I told him that his stiffened the people all, through affectations, I never found hims French wns Le Touquet French a difficult year, as nobody else anything but easy to deal with. all, right for talking to could have done; the second; And I am in no doubt that the Mademoiselle X on the plage, the manner in which he had Andy was deep in his; dabt.

with. but no good for military con- handled our relations versations. Hure-Belisha sald I America. Hore-Bellsho con- could not be really serious, and ceded this; but he still thought natico closer together in many

said, 'Yes, I am. What he that Churchll would fall. was really after was a Bellaha Line

with the joining up Maginot Line."

3

SWISSAIR

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have WIDE RANGE

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He brought the Army' and the

Eighteen months later. Horo- Bellshur invited me to lunch with him at his house in Staf in some circles has been viewed at a time when the operation ford Place. After luncheon we as a "downfall" engineered by a sat in his little garden behind "conspiracy of brass-hats." Ia Yet although the Generals

respects; Improved conditions of service, where his predeces-

do Sorg had failed to There has been a good deal of although they had tried; he had speculation about Hore-Bellsha's the knack of handling Chamber- War, and the circumstances aur- changes at the top of the Army career as Secretary of State for lain's Cabinet; he made some rounding his departure which

the house.

a sense I suppose it was,

was, overdue.

may have handled him more roughly than he deservYKİ, I MER

NEXT WEEK

Referring to our visit to Fration

It seemed to the obvious that perfectly sure he was not the in 1940, he said: "I remarked to Gort that I did not think very he lind no natural aptitude for man for the hour.

on with his military much of the defences. Gort gelling replied that he had 17 dealgna colleagues; they were auspicious

hie undoubted for pill-boxes, but that he had of

personal not yet been able to get a de- ambition and what they re- cision to which should he garded as his passion for pub adopted. I said that that wow claing himself and his achieve- the story of tank dealen over tents. His acteins in the so-

called "Pillbox Controversy, again.

for instance, wore absurdly "I then summoned the Army distorted; and although I am Council to discuss the problem, quite sure, from what I saw," "of

COMMENTARY

Back Wavell -Or. Sack Him'

BY FRANK

OWEN

TIENERAL KENNEDY con- Imperial -Guneral Staff at the But then, what could a mers

Civilian know about: ? wart- firms the susplofon falt in War Ofos

sald General Ironside, somo- quarters at the time, of One of Leila Mora-Ballsha's “Why," Leslie Mara-Dolisha'a dismissal offences was his criticism of the contemptuously, stwhat he was In really after: was ca› Ballshk Line from the port of Becretary of no-called Dafance Line State for War in 1940, that it France." He did not think much Joining up with the Maginot was engineered by a conspiracy of the pillboxes erected there Lins!" |of •brage-hate"

and he wanted to strengthen Would you, bellove it? You Shem: (1) ramumber, him; talling and it was exactly because the | And ha scoma nimeair to con- mauka himmelf); · Genaral· Gort, defences ware' no. Insffectiveĵat eldary that it was 'Justified by then informed him that he "had that very point Joining up with. that particular: Civilian's follies 17 designs for pillboxes, but that the Maginet. Line that, the and, his fallure; to take the he had not yet been able to get Germans turned the Bank of the advios of the Boldiers, notably declalon as to which should ; Maginot Line-Just-itharm-/ med, ba adopted"}} CANNIBALE LA Munst maretind rosind to the ride of. It General Qort, then Commanders g This Ward va month after thereafter storming Into Fragos InkChief of the British the war 7 hadi broken, out, and p Expeditionary Force In France, Four months before the Germans Lesia, shery pollakai BIUREM and, General ireneids: who had faunched, their great effanalys in was sueseeded – him, nekonlir (or the the NYING