NO CRANGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 March 1940, Page 5

NO CRANGE

IN FRENCH WAR AIMS M REYNAUD'S DECLARATION. ASSURANCE OF DETERMINED. ACTION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright PARIS. March 26. “France’s war objective remains the same —defeat of the enemy,” declared the Premier, M. Keynaud, in a broadcast address; “In forming the Government, ” he added, “1 desired unanimity and offered men of all parties an opportunity to collaborate, so that 1 his unanimity will come.”

If. amid war, France had offered the spectacle of a succession of Governments, enemy propaganda would have denounced the failure of our democracy. The real risk, said the Premier, was not in favouring the enemy’s propaganda, but in favouring the execution of his plan. “He gambles on our internal break-up enabling him to take military action at minimum cost,” he said.

The Government’s duty was clear — to make war on all fields. The situation might change at any moment, but France would not be invaded, not surprised, and not left unprotected. “Those attempting to thwart France’s effort will be crushed,” M Reynaud added. “This war will be hard. We will have to fight hard, work hard, and suffer hard, but we will win.” He said there was no need for him to give reasons why the war was begun, nor to state the war aims, for they remained unchanged. In march, 1936. Germany entered the Rhineland; in March, 1938, Vienna; in March, 1939. Prague; and in September, supported by Russia, she attacked Poland. The Reich was attempting to spread its domination throughout Europe. Everyone knew where Europe would be. and, indeed.-France, if the enemy were to succeed. The war would not be easy to win. but however hard it would be the Allies would win.

Summing up the seven months of the war, M Reynaud reminded his listeners that many wars in the history of France had begun with the invasion of French territory. Today, for the first time French soil had been spared the horrors of war, but it was not enough to resist invasion. In former times wars were struggles between armies. Today war was between nations. He concluded by describing his new Government as a purely war Government. The new inner war Cabinet of nine members was enough for deliberation and more than large enough for determined action.

APPROVAL IN BRITAIN SPEECH WITH THE RING OF LEADERSHIP. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) RUGBY, March 21. The speech delivered last night by M Reynaud has been received with warm approval in London, where a typical comment describes the new French Premier as a statesman less concerned to calculate votes than to represent the spirit of France. The “Daily Telegraph” says his call to France has the ring of leadership.