“SHOCKING STORY”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 135, 8 May 1940, Page 7

“SHOCKING STORY”

ANOTHER GALLIPOLI. SIR ROGER KEYES’S VIEW. CALL FOR VIGOUR. (United Press Association —By Electric Teiegrapn—Copyright.) Received May 8, 10.55 a.m. LONDON, May 7. Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, participating in the House of Commons debate on the Norwegian campaign, said it was a shockingstory of ineptitude and should never have happened. The Naval Staff astoundingly would not realise that the attack on Namsos was doomed if German ships controlled Trondheim Fiord. “I importuned Cabinet to let me take all the responsibility and organise and lead the attack. The Gallipoli tragedy has been followed step by step,” declared Sir Roger Keyes, who added that Trondheim could easily have been captured if a few ships had entered Trondheim Fiord immediately the Army was ready to co-operate. “Naval officials told me there was no difficulty about entering the fiord, but it was unnecessary as the Army was making progress and the Mediterranean situation made the risking of ships undesirable,” Sir Roger Keyes said “If our sea. power liad been used vigorously and courageously the Germans would have been in a mo9t dangerous position, and would eventually have been defeated. Committees cannot win a war. Th.ose responsible must be fully empowered to act without delays and conferences.” Colonel lit. Hon. J. C. Wedgwood (Labour) said one lesson from the Norwegian experience was that the Fleet could save us from starvation, but not invasion. Apparently it was not prepared to combat invasion, which was easier now than in 1914. “We need all the help we can get. The sooner we get Russian and American aid the better,” he declared. “I hope we get a Government which takes the war seriously. Wo must use a lightning stroke, the essence of which is doing something illegal and unexpected.”