MR. CHURCHILL EXPLAINS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 338, 18 November 1915, Page 3

MR. CHURCHILL EXPLAINS.

THE CURTAIN LIFTED. SPEECH IN COMMONS. HOW THE BELGIANS WERE HELPED. HISTORY WILL PROVE VALUE OF ACTION. LONDON, Nov. 16. The House of Comons was crowd-*.d when Mr. Winston Churchill made his promised explanation regarding the Dardanelles and Antwerp expeditious. The project of sending an army to Antwerp originated with Lord Kitchener, and the French Government. He was not consulted until large bodies of troops were actually moving.' He was summoned to a conference in Lord Kitchener's house on, October 2nd when Sir Edward Grey and Lord Fisher were also present, i Then he learned of the project to send a relieving army, also that after the preparations to aid Antwerp were far advanced the Belgian Government telegraphed its decision to evacuate the city and abandon the defence. All were extremely distressed to learn this. It seemed that everything would be thrown away for the sake of three or four days' continued resistance. He accordingly offered —and did not regret it a bit — to proceed to Atnwerp immediately and tell the Belgian Government what they had done and see in what way the defence could be prolonged. His colleagues accepted the oger. He crossed the Channel immediately and, having consulted the Belgian Government and British staff officers in Antwerp, he made a telegraphic proposal that the Belgians should continue their resistance to the utmost limit of their power and the British and French Governments should say definitely in three days whether they would be able to send relief. Britain was also to encourage the defenders of Antwerp by sending a naval gun and a naval brigade. His proposal was accepted. He was told a relieving army would be sent and he was told that everything possible would be done to maintain the defence. It was a great mistake to regard Lord Kitchener's effort to relieve Antwerp as only resulting in misfortune. History would determine that it resulted greatly to the advantage of i the Allies in 'hte West, causing a great battle on tre Yser instead of further south.

It Avas true the operations were taken too late. This was not his fault. On September 6th he directed Mr. Asquith's, Lord Kitchener's, and Sir Edward Grey's attention to the dangerous situation developing at Antwerp and the grave consequences. In the Admiralty interests, he suggested that territorial divisions should be s s"»t + o stimulate the defence. He made other prciosals, but no action was t2k • ■ until 11 r situation on October :'i\s superve ed. He took the resp>nv*)( cy oi senate a naval brigade, despite wr.ur of tr: 'i :'nf ; \ but the situation was r»».ip*«'rat*. They Avere the only mon av,-. ! !« ablo