REPEATED CALLS FOR MR. CHURCHILL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 118, 21 May 1942, Page 7

REPEATED CALLS FOR MR. CHURCHILL

STORM IN COMMONS Hore-Belisha Attacks Conduct Of War U.P.A. and British Wireless. Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, May 20. The second day of the war debate in the House of Commons opened with requests for Mr. Churchill's presence in the House. Replying to a request by Mr. Arthur Greenwood, Minister without portfolio. Sir Stafford Cripps, Leader of the House, said: "It will not be possible for Mr. Churchill to attend. I shall explain the reasons later."

Several members shouted: "Why not now?"

Sir Stafford, despite a storm of interruptions, finally explained that Mr. Churchill felt he could not add anything to his recent war statement. He said Mr. Churchill was not present in accordance with arrangements made last March when he (Sir Stafford) was appointed Leader of the House to enable the Prime Minister to be absent to attend to more pressing affairs.

Earl Winterton (Con., Sussex) said: "The House has the right to request the Prime Minister's presence."

Mr. G. M. Garro-Jones (Lab., Aberdeen) said: "Mr. Churchill occasionally attends to make a statement, but fails to apprise himself of the views of certain members in statements on important questions."

"Strategical Disasters"

Mr. Hore-Belisha, resuming the debate, said there was new optimism but it was questionable whether the facts justified it. The Russians' spring offensive was encouraging, but to look at only one front was to leave half the world out of account. The first requirement was to realise that they were not fighting the Germans alone, but a formidable Axis combination. They must meet its unified strategy with a unified strategy of their own.

"There should be a Ministery of Defence," said Mr. Hore-Belisha. "We have reached a position where chiefs of staff are guided and directed by a political Minister. This change was made before the disaster of Norway, and you cannot divorce an almost unbroken sequence of strategical disasters from this mixture of political, strategical and military elements in the war directing the machine. Who told General Sir Archibald Wavell to stop at Bengasi? Who decided to send an army to Greece without adequate air support?

"We are told it had the concurrence of the chiefs of staffs, but concurrence is very different from advice. We have reached an extraordinary pass when in a war debate we have neither the benefit of the Service Ministers nor the presence of the Minister of Defence. While Stormoviks are shattering the German defences and 2000 Stukas are roaring over the Russian positions at Kerch, there is no such weapon as a dive-bomber in the British Army. The Japanese passed swiftly through Malaya with a dive-bomber designed specially for the army's use. Java was taken by modern tactics, not by superiority in arms. General Alexander in Burma conducted his retreat without cover. Is this to be tolerated after nearly three years of war? It must be stopped."

Dr. L. Haden Guest (Lab., North Islington) urged a closer relationship with the Dominions and the dispatch of British soldiers and airmen to Australia. He said Mr. Churchill should give up the Ministry of Defence and devote himself to political affairs.

Mr. A. P. Herbert (Ind., Oxford University) said Mr. Churchill's critics were painting a one-sided picture. The man responsible for the failures of Hongkong and Singapore was also responsible for Abyssinia, Somaliland, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Madgascar and Malta and also for the sinking of half the Italian fleet and the Bismarck and the Graf Spee.

Mr. Herbert said the people had faith in their leader and they should resist the democratic tendency to try to knock down the heads which came above the crowd.

Mr. Beverley Baxter (Labour, Middlesex) said that despite a long list of disasters Mr. Churchill's name still stood high. He believed Mr. Churchill would lead the country to victory.

Mr. Baxter declared that if the Japanese landed in Australia the people of Britain would feel it as deeply as if the fighting took place on their own beaches. The Prime Minister, who had done so much to keep the English people together, should give more faith and more voice to "our own kith and kin in the Empire."

Mr. W. J. Brown (Independent, Rugby), paying a tribute to Mr. Churchill's unique contribution to the war effort, emphasised his handling of the Russian entry into the war with a "speech which constituted a great act of statesmanship."