Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 31, 7 June 1915, Page 5

Great Britain

WINSTON CHURCHILL.

XJUITID Pmtl AbSOOIATIOW.

London, June 6

Mr Churchill, speaking at Dundee,

said he did not intend to embark upon explanations of reproaches and re-

crimination. The years succeeding

the Agadir crisis, when Mr Asquith charged him to place the fleet in instant and constant readiness for war, constituted the most important period in opr naval history. He had done his best, and the archives at the Admiralty would show the part he had played and would be his defence. The terrible dangers at the beginning of the war were over. The seas had been swept clear, and everything was in perfect order. Nearly everything had £»een forseen, they had taken the foe’s measure, and had only to go forward with confidence. He was glad Mr Balfour was able to take up the task, and the opeia-

tions at the ’ Dardanelles would give

him an Opportunity of showing those . qualities of calm courage and inflexibility which prevented Ladysmith from being left to its fate and surrendered. In regard to the Dardanelles, we must expect losses on land and sea, but the fleet employed was a surplus fleet after all the other needs had been provided for. It was presumptions of anyone to suppose that Lord Kithener embarked on the Dardanelles campaign without thoroughly and carefully considering every requirement in relation to the 'paramount needs of the army in France and Flanders. In looking at the losses we must not forget the prize for which we are contending. The forces were within a few miles of a victory such as this war had never yet seen. W hen it comes it will make amends for all.

It was the duty of the press to sustain the public confidence, and he condemned newspaper attacks on respon-

•sible leaders in the, field or at home. Any criticism should he in Parliament. He regretted the Liberal Government did not have!the opportunity of stating its case, as it would have been found that Lord Kitchener lias a strong, case for the War Office. He (Mr Churchill) .might have had something to say about > the Admiralty. The nation expected from 'trie new Cabinet action, not hesitation. They must act now, and act with courage, and trust the people. If it was impossible to win the war, without compulsion, lie would support it, but he did not believe it would be found necessary. It was certainly necessary now. The whole nation must organise in order to gain a decisive victory. The nation must be a socialised government in some form, and must make sure that every man and woman of every rank should do their fair share. The nation must bend anew together for a supreme effort. The times hard, the need dire, and Europe’s agony infinite, but the might of Britain hurled unitedly would he irresistible. We are the great reserve of the Allied cause, and that reserve must march as one man. (Cheers.)

THE TRUE VICTORY. WHAT THE DARDANELLLS STRUGGLE MEANS’. A GREAT SUBSIDIARY OPERATION. THE GREAT COAL IN VIEW. (Received 8.30 a.m.) London, June 5. Continuing, Mr Churchill said: Sir lan Hamilton s army and Admiral De Robeck’s fleet was separated by only a few miles. Victory in such war was not seen. When speaking of victory, he was not referring to those victories which crowd' the daily placards and newspapers. He was speaking of victory in the sense that it would be,a formidable fact in shaping the destinies of nations and shortening the duration of the war. Beyond those few miles of ridge and scrub—-on which our French comrades and our gallant Australian and New Zealand fellowsubjects were fighting for life, there lay the destruction of the enemies’ fleet and army; the fall of a worldfamous capital and the probable accession of other powerful allies to help Britain and France and Russia 'in their, great effort. The struggle would be heavy, the risks enormous, and the losses cruel; hut a victory would make amends. There never was a great subsidiary operation in' which more complete harmony in strategic, political and economic advantages were combined, or which stood in truer relation to the main decision which must be made on the central theatre. Through The Narrows and across the ridges of Gallipoli lie some of the shortest’paths to triumph and peace. We are confronted with a foe, who without the slighest scruple, would extirpate Us man, woman, and child by any method open to him. To fall is to be enslaved or destroyed; not to win decisively is to have all the misery over again after an uneasy truce, and to fight under less favourable circumstances, perhaps, alone. After what has happened, there cannot be peace until the German military system is shattered and torn and trampled, so that it will be unable to resist the will and decision of the conquering Power. Mr Churchill concluded: “Above all, let us be of good cheer. The loyalty of our Dominions and colonies viiidicates our civilisation, and our enemies’ hate proves the effectiveness of our warfare. If we get anxious and depressed, we should watch Australia and New Zealand in this last and finest crusade for smiting down the combined barbarisms of Prussia and Turkey. We should then see General Botha holding South Africa for the King, or Canada defending to the death the last few miles of shattered Belgium. Then across the smoke and carnage of the immense battlefield, let us look forward to the vision of a United British Empire, and dn the calm background of a liberated Europe.”

LLOYD GEORGE’S SPEECH. SUPPLY OF MUNITIONS. Times and Sydney Sun Service. , London, June 4. ' Mr Lloyd George, speaking at Manchester, added ; The French have gallant men aiyl the Russians overwhelming masses. Xo doubt we want more and they will come to the call, but we want the workshops equipped to produce weapons which will shatter the dust of a cruel military despotism ang gain a glorious end. The State needs the help of each of you. French private firms have given the State assistance at a critical hour, and their

value is beyond computation, as it will enable them to pierce die German, lines. I ask you to help to equip our armies with tiie means ol breaking through the German lines. The opponents ot conscription are entitled to say the youth ot the nation has nut ret used sufficiently to respond to the appeal. The horrors cabled from the battlefield are only sending to the recruiting office greater nunioers. and 1 would like to see it continued at the same exalted level to the concluding chapter. 1 am convinced we have not yet concentrated half our industrial strength in the conflict, for it is a war of munitions. We are fighting the best organised nation in the world, and we need the utmost strength and resource in turning out munitions, and that means victory and an enormous saving of life. 1 would say that workmen and masters by turning out shells are not only killing the enemy, but are also saving the life of comrades. I ask the engineering firms, masters, men and everybody, to put their strength in the task, and so save the lives of tiie most gallant set of fellows that ever quitted these shores. (Cheers.) It had been decided that compulsory powers wore essential to best utilise our resources. I regret our voluntary army took- months to enlist, lint we cannot afford months to enlist our industrial army.

THE TIMES’ COMMENT. Times and Sydney Sen Service. (Received 8 a.m.) London, June 5. The Times, in a leader, says:—“Mr Lloyd George struck the right note at Manchester. He did not flinch to state the dangers confronting us, and treated the aiidience in the way Englishmen love and expect. He described the German success as being entirely due to superior equipment. His bluntness has been almost regarded as treasonable in certain quarters. 11 speed progresses, it will be an event in our history, but will doubtless provoke bitter complaint in certain circles.”

WORKERS MORE ACTIVE. London, June 5. Messrs Brunner and Mond’s men are speeding up munitions, starting work 105 minutes earlier daily. Many other workers and firms are warmly responding to Mr Lloyd George’s appeals. NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. CHANCE IN THE ADMIRALTY. London, June 5. The Duke of Devonshire has succeeded Mr George Lambert, M.P., as a Civil Lord of the Admiralty. THE TIMES CHARGE DISMISSED. London,, June G. The Magistrate at the’ Mansion House, on the ground that the profle-j. tion hiid failed to establish _a ease, dismissed the summons against the Times and Captain Richardson. THE CHURCH’S DUTY. “THE CALL TO SERVICE.” Times and Sydney Sun Seqvice. (Received 8.0 a.m.) London, June 5. The Manchester Guardian writes:— “Will the Government give the needful push ? There is no time to he lost. The reason for discussion and argument has gone by. This is the hour for action. Here the Church will find a new and unique opportunity. The Government was reconstructed in consequence of Lieut.-Colonel Repingington’s telegram on the scarcity of high explosives, and the Bishop of Pretoria’s letter, which brought home the necessity for the mobilisation ol the Nation. These are two of the most important events outside the actual battlefield since the war began. The duty of the Church now is plain. Ministers in their pulpits must drill the people to a clear sense that the part they have is a colossal one. The epic Church of England has got to justify the national name she hears, and everyone of her pulpits ought to ring with the call to service.”

WAR OFFICE CASUALTIES. The High Commissioner reports: — London, Juno 6. CANADIANS. OFFICERS. Killed 12 Wounded ... ...13 Gas Killed ... ... 1 Gas Poisoned ••• ••• 3 Missing ... ... ... 3 MEN. Killed 22 Wounded DO Gas Poisoned ... ... 14 Missing ... ... 74 OTHER FORCES. MEN. Killed ... 102 Wounded ... ... 5)28 Wounded and missing ... 50 Wounded and gas poisoned ... 32 Missing ... ... 263 MEDITERRANEAN LOSSES. British men killed ... ... 36!) Wounded ... ••• 013 Missing 40 IN MEMORIAM. Times and Sydney Sun Service. (Received 8 a.in.) ! London, June 5. [ Arrangements are proceeding to hold a service at St. Paul's Cathedral in memory oi the Australians killed in the war.

TRADING WITH THE ENEMY

COTTON TRADE IN CHINA. Times anti Sydney Sun Seuvios (Received 8 a.in.) London, Jimo o. A correspondent of the Manchester Guardian says there is a growing tooling that Britain should follow I'Vance’s lead in prohibiting trading vith the enemy in China. Before lie outbreak of war. a largo section ,f the business in cotton goods was ]one between Manchester and. China through German firms. A certain i:m was reluctant to discontinue and only stopped for the stiffening of British relations.