LOSSES NOT GREAT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 136, 9 May 1940, Page 10

LOSSES NOT GREAT

MR CHAMBERLAIN'S BELIEF. NAZIS HEAVY'SUFFERERS. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LOts DON, May 7. “Everyone will agree that • our troopk carried out their task with magnificent gallantry. Man for man, 'our forces showed themselves superioi to the foe,” said Mr Chamberlain in the course of his speech in the'House of Commons on the campaign in Norway. When (he Prime Minister stated that the news of the withdrawal from Southern Norway had created a profound- shock, there were shouts from the Opposition: “And there still is!” Mr Chamberlain added: “Wc tried to damp down unfounded reports because we were anxious to avoid informing the enemy of the. true situation. lam afraid that in these circumstances shock and disappointment were inevitable. I have .no wish to extenuate anything, but we shall not exaggerate the extent or importance of the check we have received. “The withdrawal is not comparable with Gallipoli. Large forces are not involved—actually not much more than a single division. The losses were not really great, nor was any considerable or valuable amount, of stores left behind. The Germans suffered far heavier losses of warships, ’planes, transports, and men. I am aware that the result cannot be measured merely by the losses on the spot. We have to take account of our loss of prestige. FALSE LEGEND. “Colour has been given to the false legend of German land invincibility and discouragement caused to our friends. We must accept that position for the moment, but wc have no need to help the enemy by worsening it. (Cheers.) The reaction is more serious in Sweden than elsewhere. I regret certain polemical comments in the Swedish Press, because they will not help Sweden or the Allies. 6 are not concerned with recriminations, but with the measures that can be taken in the future. If Sweden decides on a policy of neutrality I trust it will be strictly impartial. “For my part, 1 will try to steer the niiddle course between Optimism and defeatism.” (Opposition cries of “Missed the bus!”) i ilr Chamberlain : That is a good ex's ample of the way prejudiced people i twist words from tlieir meaning. When ; I said Hitler missed the bus I was • not referring to the invasion of Norway, which occurred three days later. 1 was referring to the fact that Hitler did not attack the Allies at the beginning, when the disparity of arms was the greatest. Mr Churchill suggested that it would be an improvement if he had close contact with the Chief of Staff. Mr Chamberlain concluded: Let us, before our first trials come upon us, steadily increase our strength till we are able to deliver our blows when and where wc will. (Loud and prolonged cheers.) LACK OF EQUIPMENT. The Liberal Leader (Sir Archibald Sinclair), exemplifying the confusion in Southern Norway, said two antiaircraft guns were landed unsuitably mounted. There was no means of testing the sights; there were no trained gunners and no range tables. One transport sailed without a chronometer, without a barometer, without arms, and without an escort. It had food for less than half the men aboard. There were no medical provisions for the wounded and no charts lor the fiords to which the ship was directed. Earl Winterton said: If the situation in Norway is as grave as is feared, a committee should be appointed and empowered to examine military and civilian officials to discover the cause of the setback. WAR MINISTER’S VIEW. Winding up the first niglit of the debate, the War Minister (Mr Oliver Stanley) said he realised that all members bad spoken with a due realisation of the gravity of the position. It was absurd to exaggerate the reverse which our arms had suffered, and ridiculous to describe it as a disaster. At the same time, it was equally dangerous to minimise it and pretend that, although the loss of men and material was small, the loss in other matters —of prestige and ' morale —might not have been great. Referring to the suggestion of a lack of knowledge of the situation in Norway, Mr Stanley said it was hard to expect our Intelligence to have information when the Norwegian Government itself was ignorant and taken by surprise. Mr Stanley paid a special tribute to the gallantry of the two Territorial battalions which arrived at the front to find the Norwegian troops exhausted after fourteen days of fighting and which were left almost entirely alone to stem every advance until the arrival of a regular brigade. “I do not think there is anybodyin this House, whatever position he occupies, who cares twopence whether i lie holds that position or not as long as we achieve victory. It is for the House to criticise the present Administration. Those who desire to turn it out must be prepared to take on the responsibility themselves,” Mr Stanley added. Mr Stanley said the Government did nothing to encourage false optimism. Norway was not the only point from which "danger threatened. THREAT IN WEST. “Just because there lias been little Western Front activity for some months it is unwise to assume that tlie greatest storm the world lias seen may not occur there,” declared the Minister. The dispersal of the ships was one cause of the Norwegian delay. Mr Stanley, answering the criticism regarding the inability of the Intelligence Service to reveal the German plans said: It was not easy to find out the plans of Germany, yet we should have lost prestige if we had not tried to help Norway. At any rate we have made Germany pay a price. It was impossible to ascertain the po--tential aerial protection for the troops till we found' whether aerodromes could be established. From the start, Trondheim and Narvik were the only strategically important points opem for us The casualties were substantial,hut in view of the nature of the ogeratioii, not unduly heavy.