FORTRESS WAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20102, 23 November 1939, Page 6

FORTRESS WAR

| THE WEST FRONT ALLIED DEFENCE i ! LAND, SEA AND AIR I ] SHARING THE TASK I BRITISH DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BY MINISTER j j (Eire. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.15 p.m. RUGBY, Nov. 21. The Secretary for War, Mr. L. : llore-Beti.sha. in the House of ComI mons statement on the progress of ! the war on land, described it as a ' "fortress war." Referring to the fact that, the Polish army is now being resuscitated on : friendly soil, he said the cause which : they were so resolute to vindicate had attracted like a magnet their I countrymen in all parts of the I world.

Since he had informed the House that Britain had 158,000 men in France, some thousands had followed them. By the spring, they would have been reinforced again by no inconsiderable armament. So it would continue until the cause was won. Nearly a million men were under intensive training in Britain.

The Allied defences by sea, land, and air, and the barriers against aggression had been established by prevision and provision. The Maginot Line, with its underground accommodation, and its closely emplaced batteries and guns, extended along 200

miles of frontier. Whereas Germany had to defend 200 miles of frontier. France had to envisage the possibility of aggression by Germany along 800 miles from the North Sea to the Alps. Exchanges of Troops

! “We now share the task," he said, j “There are French troops in the Brij tish part of the line and British i troops in the French part. The under- ' standing and good relations are comj plele.”

The sector at present allotted to the British Army, while not comparable to the major system of the Maginot Line, was thus fortunately provided in advance with field works. The task which fell to our soldiers, on arrival was to add to and improve upon these, which they were undertaking with a will. An organisation of almost inconceivably great dimensions had been established. The food, clothing, equipment. correspondence, and . amusements of the whole community are distributed over a distance of hundreds of miles. In the initial stages, the British Expeditionary Force consumed 500 tons of petrol daily, but now that alternative bases had been established additional locomotives would be imported and a permanent way laid. Still it was a question of vehicles and more vehicles. We had already sent to France over 1000 tons of spare parts and accessories.

Thousaiuls of Volunteers

Mr. Hore-Belisha said that, in addition to military classes, more than 85,000 volunteers had been taken into

i the army. It would have been irn.pos- | sible to complete the form i .ions in i France without the assistance of the I Territorial Array, whose peacetime ; training had justified .the greatest sacrifice of leisure. The territorials ! reached France much earlier com- ; pared with 1914.

In order to win the enemy must break the Allied defences on which the assault was awaited with confi-

deuce by Marshal Gamelin. The Allied sea, land and air defences were safely covering the ceaseless preparations. The Maginot Line was a debt that the free nations owed to France’s vindicated caution. The anti-aircraft and coast defences of Britain were continuously manned by personnel whose conditions of service were in many instances lonelier and harder than the men in France. "It is a war of •mdurance, a quality for which the British are renowned,” said Mr. llore-Belisha. "Each day finds us stronger, b'ut the passage of time has not had the same effect on the enemy's economy. We can afford to choose our opportunity. Our strategy is predetermined, so is the issue of this struggle.”

Opposition Leader's View The Leader of the Opposition. Major C. R. Attlee, following Mr. Hore-Belisha said: "1 think the time has come when I should give notice : that, in the new .session we shall ask for a secret session of the Mouse : at an early opportunity in order to : discuss improving our organisation and the output of supplies and that j this House may make its proper eon- ; tribution to that subject.

| “There are criticisms and there may be apprehensions. They ought to be dispersed and this House has its responsibility which it cannot leave

entirely to the Ministers. “We want to be sure that we are i doing our utmost for the more ener- | getic prosecution of the war. We want to be sure that everything possible is i being done."

Sir Percy Harris (Lib.. South-West Bithnall Green), also attached importance to the holding of a secret session, not so much in order that tiie Government might give information, but that members might have the opportunity to speak their minds and furnish information which they ■heard in the course of their work.