“THIS ENGLAND”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24410, 23 September 1940, Page 6

“THIS ENGLAND”

FACING CRUEL ORDEAL THE PEOPLE RESOLUTE CONFIDENT OF VICTORY (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Sept. 21. (Received Sept. 22, at 7 p.m.) Spirited repudiation of the sugBritain is a beleaguered fortress was made in a broadcast address to America by the Lord Mayor of London, spoken in "his,absence owing to a slight cold by-a former Lord Mayor. Sir William Broadbridge. He said: “Just look for a moment at this England of ours. It is the’ home of men and women resolutely preparing themselves for the supreme task in British history. Night by night flies out from this island the spearhead of' our attack on Nazi Germany. That spearhead is the R.A.F., whose heroic exploi's are known to all the world, but even these. brave men of the air could not give us command of the seas. If the British Fleet did not hold the ’'ocean around our shores against allcomers, the hope of freedom-in the world would die. Who, except Goebbels. could suggest that Britain is besieged o-day when our ships bring us daily and in safety the food we eat, and the steel, copper, oil- and cotton we need for our effort in the war? The Seas Kept Open “ We are daily revictualled and replenished from the granaries and arsenals of the world, and week by week our export trade is carried out over the seven seas. This is no idle boast: it is the plain honest truth. But do not imagine we can keep our seaports open tO receive rich cargoes of the outer world without paying a price and a very high price. Patrols of the Royal Navy are guarding not phly the shores of Britain, but the security of the whole world. We stand to-day facing the greatest crisis-in our history, looking to victory, sure, and complete, with the banner bearing our ancient, motto, ‘ Domine dirige nos.’ ” Assaults, on London Referring to the present trials London is undergoing, the Lord Mayor said; “ London has known in the past moments when all she most valued, and life itself,' were at stake, but never in her long, annals has she been called upon to face an ordeal so cruel, so searching. Her long-established traditions of safe, 6ettled, ways have-, £een assaulted' as never before ■ ’and her peaceful citizens have been subjected to the ruthless cruelty of ah embittered foe, bent on her destruction. , • ~ • “ To-day London stands as the very bulwarwk of civilisation and freedom as we know it. This is the greatest responsibility the world has ever 'known, : This red earth of our countryside, these paved streets of my city, built on Roman foundations, shall and will he defended to the last. London City has sometimes in her history been attacked* but uevervsacked." : Calm Courage of People A press message from Zurich gives an extract’ from a despatch published irr.the Neue Zuricher from its London correspondent, in which he describes .what. he has seen of London under the repeated German night bombing. He says: “ The calm courage of the pepole of London deserves the highest admiration Even among thpge who are suffering most one can rarely hear complaints. One consoles another, and the willingness to help one anothei and share possessions regardless of class . distinctions is wonderful to see. The attitude of Londoners is all the more admirable as they • realise that the air raids are likely to continue, and may become worse. They realise that they must stay at their posts, air raids or no air raids. They are proud to bear the brunt of the fighting and show the world that the British will not be terrorised by German methods. I myself am convinced that Britain’s war industry lias not been affected, and that air attacks on London have no military object.” . . ■. i