1958-03-15 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1958.

WINSTON'S EYES FLASHED-THIS

B

IS A SOFT JOB, HE SAID

Y the middle of June 1942, before he left for Washington, Churchill had given us, in considerable detail, plans of campaign for the re- conquest of Burma, for the occupation of the northern end of Norway, for rolling up the Germans by an advance from Northern Europe, and for an invasion of Germany from the West.

The project for Burma was impracticable because the means were lacking, especially naval and air forces. The Norwegian idea was impracticable for all three Services; so were the proposals for the invasion of Germany. We consumed a great deal of time and energy in pointing out these facts,

On the 21st, Auchinleck ***

back

It was

A

was never

the right propur-

THE BUSINESS

OF WAR

by Major-General

SIR JOHN

KENNEDY

By July 31 It was clear that The forces needed multiplying his attack had failed. The by three, and the proposed Commander-in-Chief in the Amerlean sharo was quile In Middle East now asked us for adequate. The American re- a ruling on the policy to be luctance to do more was a sign adopted by them should it prove that our sirategical policles were Impossible to defend the whole' diverging.

of the Middle East. Should they I was glad to have this hold the Della or, alternatively, chance of giving him my vlows, the Persian Gulf? They were although I realised he would told that the Persian Gulf would not be pleased: it would mean be the more important,

postponing Torch. I was there fore not surprised when he at On August 2 the Prime once looked ruffed. His eyes Minister Rew to Calro; the flashed, and he began to de- Chief of the Imperial General claim. "Anyone can make п Staff was already on his there.

The Auk

goes,

and Alexander

way plan for the use of overwhelm-O

the

Ing strength," he said. "There is no tino to wait for Four days later Churchill cabled from Calro

to say that Americans to bring forces from the Pacife. I intend to advance he had decided to appoint the date, it it is humanly possi

rellove Auchin-

Alexander to Teck.

Tog

Úrector i Mitizers Coria 1940-63 Axton Chit of aspertal Genera

tre (DOD) WHO Inteligence) 194) - a

cow late on the night of August 25. At 1 am on the 20th he sent for me.

ble. This is a soft job-not like fighting the Germans. I would be prepared

go

ahead

steps in

clear that telegraphed that he had de-

our wrong, and he cided not to stand at Sollum defeat in Libya had been satisfied, till the end of the because he had no armoured due to combination of war, that the generals could reserve, and that he pro- shortcomings in the quality be trusted to keep down the posed to fight delaying of our equipment and of our numbers of men behind the actions

to Meras leadership, in face of a more lines to Matruh.

efficient and better equipped tions.

and which The Prime Minister got back We all felt immensely German Army, apparently

The Americans were extreme-

from the Middle East and Mo without the Americans, so lang plant, as it was at the moment, had no resources,

Ope frustrated and disappointed ted by a better general thau ly anxious to undertake a land-

as we have plenty of American ominously resembled the kind would have involved us in a

that had failed at great dispersion of effort. of gamble ing in France before the suminer

What we want is a big Callipoli.

or Churchill's secretaries ence and, indeed, rather ashamed ours.

Segs. of 1942 was over. It was" ncces-

show in the shop window. We Meanwhile,

Rommel had said to me: "The mistake you not that the Army was

Churchill still had many cary that we should discuss this

should do this ilke the Ger-

people make is that you think We had

the with

American doing betler.

inveterate enemies who question

He was sitting in bed, wear- mans did Norway. Remember attacked in the desert

On September 2, three days what the P.M. wants is a logical, Ing The Dressing Gown: 1 how easy Madagascar proved after the attack had started, I reasoned argument. There is hoped so much that these would have liked to see him Chiefs of Staffs, since their ap

preciation of the situation Wad

Jinlf-smoke cigar was in his to be." He had me there; for was summoned to see the Prime nothing he dislikes more." The operations would go well.

removed from his post, I obviously quite different from "Well, this is all very good stuff mouth, and a glass of water and there is no doubt that he had Minister before dinner. When I truth of this opinion was par- By July 1 Rommel Way

foreigner." Then there some papers on a table beside been right about Madagascar, Drived at No. 10, he was seated, ticularly driven in on us thuring only 60 miles from Alexan- see that, on July 3, I made ours; and we were very glad to "Well,

was something about the war him. I expected him to be and we had been unduly appre- as usual, at the tabic, In his the months before Torch. being run by politicians on the gunburned after his travels, but hensive.

I think it was at this time dria. We hoped that great- a note: "In spite of what learn that General Mursita' in-

blue rompers. He did not seem

told me that I raid that, all the ly extended as he was, he one may feel about Win- July 17 to thrush out an agreed Allied side-nt which Churchill he was his. usual baby pink,

to be in very good form. He it that Brooke ston's methods and his policy.

cocked a comic grimace, and

did not think the plan was a fresh elgar before we began to Churchill had said to him: "I looked sideways at me. so judgment, I do believe that,

likely to succeed unters it was night the first stage of the Battle have got sore throat and the strengthened.

of Alamein on the map. When, after all these years, I read the notes made of

after

at

we

tended to come to London

Unflustered

He was

in

an

to of

IL was

that

6zme, I

of

us of relict,

was.

DJ

doctors have knocked me cigars. That is the worst of having a high-class

cures: I should have said that a was wel stocking round my neck and would cure me in a night." n critical

The war would certainly have

NEXT WEEK

might be checked

When Marshall arrived, the Alamein, but,

proposed on balance, it is best that Prime Minister

Policy shift and the Chiefs

After this interview, I wrote many disappointments,

Staff to Chequers for the week in my diary: could not be very confident, he should continue as Prime take him

Minister-there is no one end. But Marshall sold he "Winston certainly inspires He said he wanted to check these discussions, memories are Disliked logic have to so in for high-class Churchill sent a cable To

the personality wanted first to have talks with confidence. I do admire the un- up. He spoke Arst of Egypt, revived of the strong and pass- Mr R. G. Casey, the Mini-cise with

Ob- his own people and the Chiefs hurried way in which he gets "With the change of command- ionnte views we held at the ume

The Prime Minister ter of State in the Middle needed for the job."

viously

still thought of Staff, and the Chequers party through such a colossal amount era, a new wind is blowing in on matters that now seemn We

д was postponed for week. of work, and yet never that Churchill Brooke felt the same as Mor otherwise than

the Desert," he said, "The Army little importance. I am also re- obviously on tenterhooks. East, to say that if Rom-

at leisure.

He was all in bits and pieces, but minded that Churchill was in no wonder. It

In the war, and I mel reached the Deita, there even then

had not yet achieved secur- shall, and was relieved when was particularly gentut

and all that will be put right now, clined to be a great gambler in moment must be such a fight as

Churchill's proposat fell through, good-humoured

today. 1 car That poor Army

has suffered his strategical nations, while I suspected he was having din. been much duller without him

some of ·hi well understand how those terrible wastage."

was not. And it is only fair to culties with would be put up in Kent if ity of tenure.

around him become devoted to

remember By July 3 it looked as if

tho greatest colleagues. England were invaded.

hlm-and dominated by him. I

When he asked me what I military accesses, all through By September 24 It was clear Tho Prime Minister's Auchinleck would be able

re that Rommel's attack had fall- remember Dudicy Pound once had to tell him, I sald Torch, the history of war, have speech in the Commons on to hold Rommel, and even

On July 17 the Prime saying. You cannot help loving the operation then being planned sulted from plans that might ed, and we all breathed a sigh

How I would handle the for an that mun, I can quite sce

inya well have been regarded Anglo-American July 2 was a great success, to deliver a counterstroke.

All through that month, Churchill now asked for Minister sent for me. and provided a powerfu!

he was truth of this sentiment. There is sion of French North Africa, gambles before they were at- counterblast to the distrust yet another detailed state a cold, wet day, and

big and critics must admit-he has

the ment, but I thought No. 10 with his back to a

plan particular case, I think we were active in suggesting a variety of Winston-by Monty and criticism of his regine, ment of what every man in sitting in the Cabinol room at one thing that Winston's enemies was the big thing at the mo- tempted. All the same, In this Churchill had been particularly his blue romper only one interest in life at this was no good in its present form. right to "ca' conny," The Torch fresh operations, for which we Such criticism hud natural- the Middle East was doing fre, wearing

a fat cigar. moment, and that is to win the ly sprung up afresh as the It was a habit of his to salt, and smoking

mood. war. Every waking moment is a genial operations in the desert call for such statements well," he said, indicating the devoted to that.

whenever things went sketch map of dispositions in "He lives his peculiar lite went from bad to worse.

the desert which Iny before him, indoors, and rarely going out.

this rauch hangs

battle, Yet this seems to gult him well, Hours seem like days."

and he shows little sign of wear He then read aloud, with his and tear, and he looks in better of the other cigar in his mouth, some of the health dau some telegrams that had come in politicians who work less than during the day. One contained he does. Of course, he has not in secount of the war situation the warry of departmental life, which had been given by some with its constant interruptions

and he neutral foreigner. It sald 1942 and distractions,

his routine as he why an Axis year, but that 1943 arrange

and wishes. It is an extraordinary would be an Allies' year, that Germany was bound to be tour de force all the same."

When he Auchinleck started his offen- "Winston certainly inspires defeated in the endk

this, he remarked. sive at Alamein on July 22. confidence. I do admire the had read unhurried way in which he acts through such a colossal amount of work, and yet never secins otheriolse than at leisure. I can well under- stand how those around him become devoted to him--and dominated by him,"

COMMENTARY

BY FRANK OWENEZ

THERE were times-and

General Kennedy offers three examples when Prime Minister Winston Churchill's plans of cam- paign were impracticable, mid-June Thus, in 1942, he had fantastic.. schemes for reconquering. Burma from the Japanese, for expelling the Germans from Norway, and invading the Reich itself from the West across the

fields of France.

for

In fact, for the Second Front in Europe in really big way,

a

The forces, we could actually muster, however, were not deemed power- ful enough for all these projects, and in the event, the Germans actually the drove us back in Western Desert to within 60 miles of Alexandria.

Winston Churchill was not dismayed by the dis-

appointment of his plans. Writes General Kennedy:

And, now, though he had set his heart on an carly Anglo-American in- vasion of North Africa, Churchill was finally per- suaded that the Allied re- sources were not yet ade- quate.

In fact, though he did, indeed want to harass tho the enemy continually, Winston Churchill was not the reckless gambler which some of his more astringent Service critics have tried to make him out to be.

POCKET CARTOON

by OSBERT LANCASTER

"Of course, I fully realisa that those dear,' clever Germans, really invented it, but we were the ones they tried it out on, Remember?"

ARTIE

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