WISE DECISION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 132, 4 May 1940, Page 7

WISE DECISION

EVACUATION IN SOUTH. CHANCELLOR’S VIEW. Received May 4, 10.10 a.m. LONDON, Alay 3. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir John Simon), in a speech, said that when the facts were revealed the public would admit that the Norwegian evacuation was wise. The pace and [ precision of the German army’s ad- ; vance in Norway had proved its enorm- , ous power and thrust, and the high ! organisation and remorseless skill with which it was used. Sir John Simon, referring to the decision to withdraw from Trondheim, said: “Speaking with the complete : information which only members of the ‘ AVar Cabinet can at this stage have, ‘ I am quite confident that, when the ; whole situation is laid before the im--1 partial public, its judgment will be ‘ that the action decided upon was 3 wisely taken upon the best advantage.” , - Speaking of the lessons which could be drawn from the past eight months. 3 Sir John referred to the unparalleled s unity and determination with which - the British people are meeting the challenge. He added that there could 3 be no vestige of doubt concerning the ' nature of the issues for which we were } fighting. I DEFENCE OF LIBERTIES. f “It is as plain as anything can be in the tangled story of human life 7 on this planet that this conflict is ‘ in defence of ordinary human liber--3 ties, of ordinary common rights I which • a free people know to -be threatened with destruction,” de- = dared the Chancellor. 5 The whole idea of freedom was inI I imical to the Nazi ideals, said Sir ‘ John Simon. It is. therefore, not merely a rhetorical phrase which declares that a German victory means the end of liberty.”