ALLIED UNITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20042, 14 September 1939, Page 6

ALLIED UNITY

BRITAIN-FRANCE PLEDGE TO POLES CHECK TO NAZI TERROR CHAMBERLAIN ASSURANCE lIOSTILITIES RE VIE AY ED GERMAN SEA RAIDERS (F.l«c. Ti'l. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Oflicial Wireless.) Reed. 1 p.m. RUGBY, Sept. 13. A statement on the international situation was made in the House ol Commons this afternoon by the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain. He started by referring to the meeting of the Allied Supreme War Council which lie attended in France yesterday. The object of the meeting, he said, was to make possible at the earliest stage in the war direct and personal exchange of Views. “The present situation was fully examined and the measures lo be taken in the immediate future were discussed. Further meetings would be arranged as and when necessary to ensure the closest possible co-opera-tion between the two countries on all major aspects of the conduct of the war.

"I am glad to be able to assure the Mouse that the people of France and the ueople of Britain are alike determined, not only io honour to the full their obligations to Poland, but also to put an end once and 1 for all to the intolerable strain of living under a perpetual threat of Nazi regression," /said Mr. Chamberlain. "Our French Allies are, like ourselves. a peace-loving people, but they arc as convinced as we are that there can be no peace until the menace of Hitlerism is removed.” Mr. Chamberlain referred to the present situation in tire Empire and Europe and the theatres of war, and be added: ‘‘l cannot give the House details of all the measures of defence which have been adopted in the overseas parts of the Empire, but on behalf of the Government I can say that both in the military and civil spheres steps, which in some cases are of a far-reaching nature, have been taken. Armed Vigilance ‘‘An increasing number of foreign States have declared their neutrality, but in no case has this led to any relaxation of the armed vigilance which characterises Europe. “For the moment the eastern theatre of war is still the main centre of operations. The Germans appear to be endeavouring lo force a decision in this theatre before they are comneiled to transfer their formations to the west to meet the threat of AlMed intervention. That these hopes so far have beett frustrated is due to the indomitable spirit of the Poles.

“In the west the French have begun a methodical advance: Hitherto these operations have been local with the object of straightening out the line and gaining contact with the main enemy positions. This is an essential and important preliminary phase about which the French naturally are reticent and it is sufficient to say that it has been completely successful." Mr. Chamberlain said it was true that British troops were already in France, although they had not been in action, and he promised that when' this happened all possible information would be issued. British Troops in France Referring further to the British troops in France. Mr. Chamberlain said: “Certain statements have been made to the effect that the British Expeditionary Force already lias been engaged in' France. These statements arc not strictly accurate and are principally the result of the highlyimaginative reports of foreign correspondents over whose activities we, unfortunately, have no control. Nevertheless it is true that British roops are already in France, though they have not been in action. When this happens, as full information as tiie exigencies of the military situation permit will at once be issued.' A number of Royal Air Force squadrons were now operating from French soil. “Further successful reconnaissance flights over Germany have been carried out by the bomber command in tliis country and much useful information has been gained, in the eburse of these flights, of activities behind the German frontier,” said Mr. Chamberlain.

"Tiie defensive patrols proceed continuously and the fighter command remains in a state of instant readiness. The coastal command has continued to carry out extended reconnaissance and tiie anti-submarine patrols have carried out a number of attacks.” Speaking further of sea activities, Mr. Chamberlain said that the auxiliary naval forces were now passing rapidly into service. “The fleet has been joined by three destroyers of tiie Polish Navy which have proved to be very efficient and are taking part in tiie strenuous life of our light forces,” he continued. "The main, object of the British Navy must be, as in the last war, to ensure the freedom and safety of the seas.” Germany’s 1317 Campaign

Mr. Chamberlain referred tn Germany's 1317 submarine campaign and added: “In the present war the German attack upon our merchant shipping was begun by an act of ruthlessness against a passenger ship, contrary to all rules of maritime warfare and the convention that Germany herself signed. This is being continued. “A certain, number of British merchant ships hade been sunk and our losses undoubtedly have been somewhat severe. This is only what had to 1)0 expected, for the reason that the war came at a moment when large numbers of our merchantmen wore scattered over the seven seas, moving under peace conditions. “On the other hand the Germans had placed their G'-boals and supply ships previous to the outbreak of war in the best strategic positions and it is not surprising that some of our vessels have been caught and surprised b.v submarines before they were able to reach port.

It is impossible to apply the coiw

voy system while many of the ships to be convoyed are still on the high seas. We, however, are pressing on with putting that system into force and it is daily operating with everincreasing efficiency. Only (i l’er Cent

“In the last war, out of some 10.500 vessels which were convoyed to and from this country on the Atlantic, only 102. or .0 per cent, were sunk by submarine action while under convoy. but the convoy system was only applied in ,'he summer of 1917 after we had been at war for nearly three years. That i? not the ease to-day. The convoy system is being applied immediately and as soon as it is in full working order f have no reason to suppose That it will prove to be less decisive than it was 20 years ago.

“Meanwhile I can assure the House that submarines are being constantly attacked and successes have been achieved.

“At the outbreak of the war, the total German tonnage ot ships at spa. or in neutral or allied ports, Baltic ports excepted, was in the neighbourhood of 1.105.000. Practically all that shipping has now been cleared off the high seas. Some has been captured and much of it has interned itself in neutral ports.

“Moreover the supply lo Germany of vital war materials carried under neutral flags has been and will be increasingly limited by the contraband control imposed by the power ot our fleet.”

After dealing with the organisation of the civil defence services of Britain, Mr. Chamberlain said that be proposed to say a few words about the creation and work of the Ministry of Information on which the Lord Privy Seal would make a detailed statement in due course. Most Difficult Work

“The work of the Ministry of Information.'’ proceeded Mr. Chamberlain. "is of the most difficult type that can be assigned to a Government department. Such.a Ministry must continually seek to steer between giving information which might help an enemy defeat or destroy our own troops and withholding information with the risk of creating the impression that terrible things may be happening of which the public has no knowledge.

"In the second place the Ministry of Information is necessarily, a department which cannot begin its real work in any real sense until an outbreak of war and then, at a moment’s notice, it lias lo spring into tiie fullest activity.

"It is scarcely to be expected that, 'n the face of such formidable difficulties as these, errors will not be made and that some of them will be serious enough to cause trouble and exasperation to the whole press. I, regret sued incidents and I should like now to express mv appreciation • f the patriotic way in which the press generally in this country has eo-operated with the Government and ought to play its part in the common struggle.

“I already have declared to the House the desire and intention of the Government to give the fullest posable information to the public and to do all that we can to prevent any feeling in the minds of the public that they are being kept in the«dark. That is a principle to which, through the Ministry of Information, we shall seek to give effect. ‘‘lmprovements in the machinery can. I have no doubt, be made and the debate to-dav may help us discover what some of these improvements should be, but I feel that, in 'hose early days. I am entitled to ask the House and the country for patience and toleration while we are endeavouring to correct what has gone ‘wrong and to build up a satisfactory and efficient service.’’