NOTE OF FEAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20913, 13 October 1942, Page 3

NOTE OF FEAR

NAZIS’ SPEECHES CHANGED TONE CHURCHILL'S RETORT BETTER ALLIED OUTLOOK (By Telegraph—Press Assn,—Copyright.) (British Oiiicial Wireless.) (11.30 a.m.) RUGBY. Oct. 12. “To show any weakness to such a man as Hitler is only to encourage him lo further atrocities, and you may be assured that no weakness will be shown him,” declared the Prime Minister, Mr. Winston Churchill,

speaking at Edinburgh to-day, when the freedom of the city was conferred on him. He was referring to the chaining of prisoners of war. Mr. Churchill declared that the U-boat warfare still remained the greatest problem of the United Nations, but there was no reason why it should not be solved by prodigious measures of offence, defence, and replacements on which the British Commonwealth and, above all, the United States, were engaged. August and September had been the least bad months of the war since January. They had seen the new building of merchantmen which substantially outweighed the losses. They ha_d seen the greatest tonnage of British bombs dropped on Germany. They covered the most' numerous safe arrivals of United States troops in Britain. They marked a definite growth of Allied air superiority over Germany, Italy, and Japan. Solid. Remarkable Facts • "It is not my habit to encourage light or vain expectations, but these are solid, remarkable facts,” he said. “The army in Egypt is confident that it will stand an unbreakable barrier between General Rommel arid the Nile Valley, while the fleet is once again confident that it will stand between the continental tyrant and the dominion of the world. The whole country is pulling together as never before in all its history.” Mr. Churchill said that our enemies had been more talkative recently. Ribbentrop, Hitler, and Goering had all made speeches which revealed, with considerable frankness, their state of mind. There was one note ringing through all these speeches. It could clearly be heard above their customary boastings and threats. 11 was the dull, low, whining note of fear. These speeches were all the speeches of men conscious of their guilt and conscious of the law. How different from the tone of 1940. when France was struck down, western Europe beaten down, and eastern Europe subjugated. Mussolini had hastened to stab us in the back and Britain . stood the sole champion in arms for freedom, the inheritance of mankind. Evidently something had happened in the past two years to make these evildoers feel that there might be another side to the account. Hitler's Fortunes Declining “The most curious part of Hitler’s speech,” said Mr. Churchill, “was his complaint that no one pays sufficient attention to his victories. It strikes a chill into his marrow because, in bis heart, he knows that all his tremendous victories and vast conquests have not prevented his fortunes declining. His prospects have darkened to immeasurable degrees in the last two years. Apparently this bad man saw quite clearly the shadow of slowly, remorselessly, approaching doom and railed at fortune for mocking him with the glitter of fleeting success.” ,

. Mr. Churchill declared that all occupied Europe was seething with the spirit of revolt, revolution, and hatred of the German race. Hitler’s name burned fiercer daily in the hearts of his people and his soldiers dwelt among populations who would kill them one at a time when the chance came.