MR. CHURCHILL'S SPEECH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 309, 8 June 1915, Page 4

MR. CHURCHILL'S SPEECH.

No one can rend the speech delivered by Mr. Churchill at Dundee without being thrilled with its force and cheery optimism. It abounds in expressions of the noblest and most sportsmanlike views, and cannot fail to inspire the British people, as well as tfhe citizens of llio whole Empire, with a, loftier and deeper sense of t'he task on which the Allies are now engaged. Its keynote is superlative patriotism, and its dominant intensity of action. Wisely he avoided all controversial matter, and devoted his masterful oratory to reviewing the situation, especially that at the Dardanelles, with a view to inculcating a feeling of perfect confidence in the work that is beiug carried out. His generous praise of the Now Zoalanders. tlie Australians, the Canadians and the South Africans struck a chord that will vibrate throughout the Empire, while his tribute to bis successor at the Admiralty, Mr. Balfour, was a credit to bis statesmanship. We now know that the operations at the Dardanelles had Lord Kitchener's imprimatur, and that both the men. and the ships could be well spared for the important work there. IfoW important their task is can easily be gauged by the statement that' the successful completion of the work there will mean a, victory that will shape the destinies of nations and shorten the duration of the war. He pointed out that never was there such a great subsidiary operation in which a more complete harmony of strategic, political and economic advantages were combined, or which stood in a truer relation to the main decision in the central theatre, adding that through The Narrows and across the ridges of the peninsula lay some of the shortest paths to triumph and peace. "Above all," said Mr. Churchill, "let us be of good cheer.'' Coming from such a source this exhortation may well be taken to heart, and in looking at (he losses lie mindful of the prize for which we are contending. Mr. Churchill has done a great service to (he Empire l>y his timely and inspiriting address, which should certainly encourage the nation, the Empire and the Allies to bend anew together for a supreme effort in order to gain a decisive victory. Then, in the words of Mr. n.nrchil 1 , we can look a'.-ross (he smoke and carnage of the immense battlefield, and look forward to the vision of a united British Empire on the calm background of a liberated Europe.