MR CHURCHILL’S SPEECH

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23970, 10 June 1943, Page 5

MR CHURCHILL’S SPEECH

AIR OFFENSIVE TO BE INTENSIFIED ALLIED DETERMINATION (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, June 8. In his speech to the House of Commons Mr Churchill declared that nothing would turn the Allies from intensifying their bombing from the air. “The enemy, who thought that the air would be his weapon of victory, is now finding in it the first cause of his ruin,” he said. “It is necessary to make it plain, so far as Britain, the Dominions, America, and Russia are concerned, that nothing will turn us from our endeavour and intention to accomplish the complete destruction of,our foes by bombing from the air in addition to all other methods. “Loud lamentations and outcries are being made by the enemy, now that this form of warfare by which he sought to obtain the mastery of the world has turned markedly to his disadvantage. These outcries will only be regarded by us as very satisfactory proof of the growing efficiency of our attack.” Mr Churchill said that the d'ominating feature of his visits' to Washington and North Africa had been the complete British and American unity, and the spirit, quality, and organisation of the Allied armies. The general war policy included taking the pressure off Russia, helping China, and the protection of‘Australia and New Zealand. Mr Churchill added: “One cannot doubt that Stalingrad and Tunisia are the greatest military disasters ever to have befallen Germany in all the wars she has made. There is no doubt from statements by captured generals that Hitler expected the Tunisian army to hold out at least until August and that this was the view and intention of the German High Command. “I am sorry that it has not yet been possible to bring in to our councils Mr Stalin or other representatives of our great ally, Russia, which is bearing the heaviest burdens and paying by far the highest price in blood and life.” he said. Mr Churchill said that the Allied Governments had not intervened in the discussions between General de Gaulle and General Giraud, and future Allied dealings would be „ with the French Committee of National Liberation upon the members of which lay the greatest responsibility. They had only to sink their differences to ensure the rebirth of France. “We rejoice in the new French agreement,” he added. Mr Churchill had an audience with the King at Buckingham Palace to-day. He gave His Majesty a full account of his visits to Washington and North Africa. The First Sea Lord (Admiral Sir Dudley Pound), the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. V. Alexander), and the Chief of the Air Staff (Air Chief Marsha] Sir Charles Portal) were present. « GRATITUDE TO CHURCHILL Tribute in house of LORDS (8.0. W.) RUGBY. June B. “In the past the Prime Minister used to be rather an austere, elderly person who remained immovable in the seat of Government and directed our affairs from the centre. Now he needs new and very different qualities,” said Lord Cranborne, Leader of the House of Lords, in a tribute to Mr Churchill. , “In addition to his ordinary strenuous duties he is expected to fly over continents and oceans and to other parts of the world,” continued Lord Cranborne. “There are no limits t#j the powers of endurance of a Prime Minister to-day, and I think it is our good fortune that in the greatest crisis of our history we should have foun ' a man with courage, drive, initiative, and an almost. , superhuman quality of temperament and buoyancy which has surmounted all difficulties and dangers and lifted the spirit of the British people to his own lofty heroic level.” Lord Cranborne added: “Our debt and the world’s debt to the Prime Minister grows month by month, day by day, and I think it is fitting that I should take this opportunity of expressing to him our undying gratitude for all he has done and all he is doing. We thank him from the bottom of oui hearts:” This statement took the place of the usual parallel statement in the House of Lords on the occasion of speeches such as Mr Churchill’s to-day. Lord Addison and Lord Samuel associated themselves with the leader’s tribute. RUMANIAN OFFICIALS DISMISSED SUSPECTED OF ANTI-NAZI SENTIMENTS (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 9. Antonescu, the Rumanian Prime Minister, has purged the Rumanian Government service, dismissing hundreds’of officials and also several district governors, whose places are being filled by army officers, according to information reaching Istanbul from Bucharest. The object of the purge is said to be to eliminate officials suspected of anti-Nazi sentiments, especially those opposing the sending of more Rumanian troops to Russia, in return for which Hitler is reported to have promised Antonescu a revision of the Rumanian frontier with Hungary. “MASSIVE FLIGHT OF QUISLINGITES ” HIGH OFFICIALS SAID TO BE LEAVING NORWAY (Kcc. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON. June 9. “A considerable number of high officials of Quisling’s Nasjonal Samling Party are reported to have fled recently from Norway to Sweden in search of safety,” says Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent. “They form only part of a massive flight of Quislingites from the party*, a flight that has been a feature of life in Norway since the Allied victory in Tunisia. ‘‘The names of these high officials cannot be given, but one is among the oldest members of the party and is the chief Quisling commissar in the Norwegian labour movement. Another Is the chief of the Quisling S.S. in a province north of Oslo.” Other reports say that Major Quist, commander of the Quisling volunteers on the Eastern Front, who recently returned to Oslo on leave, refused to return to the front, A number of less important Eastern Front volunteers have fled to Sweden. Observers believe that the Quisling Party will collapse within, a month of the opening of a second front. FRENCH COMMITTEE IN ALGIERS LONDON, June 8. The French Committee of National Liberation held another meeting at Algiers to-day. The question of the High Command was discussed. The constitution at Algiers of the French Committee of National Liberation was formally notified to the British Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) to-day by M. Blondel on behalf of the Fighting French and M. Panaeieu on behalf of General Giraud. The staff of the Fighting French organisation in London thus ceases to be the headquarters of Frenchmen fighting with the United Nations, and future dealings will be with the national committee. J