DIGNIFIED STATEMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 May 1940, Page 6

DIGNIFIED STATEMENT

MR CHURCHILL’S ADDRESS IN COMMONS

TRIBUTE PAID TO BELGIAN ARMY. ALLIED CONFIDENCE NOT SHAKEN. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, May 28. The House of Commons assembled calmly. The Russian Ambassador. M. Ivan Maisky, was present but the Belgian Ambassador was absent. Mr Winston Churchill was loudly cheered when he rose to speak. “The House will be aware,” he said, “that the King of the Belgians yesterday sent a plenipotentiary to the German Command, asking for a cessation of arms on the Belgian front. (Cries of “Shame”). The British and French Governments instructed their generals immediately to dissociate themselves from this procedure and to persevere with the operations in which tney now are engaged. The German Command agreed to the Belgian proposal and the Belgian army ceased to resist in the morning. I have no intention of suggesting that we should attempt at this moment to pass judgment upon King Leopold’s action, in his capacity of Commander-in-Chief of the Belgian army. The Belgian Goverpment has dissociated itself from King Leopold’s act (cheers), declared itself to be the only legal Government in Belgium, and formally announced a resolve to continue the war by the side of the Allies, who came to Belgium’s aid in response to an urgent appeal. The situation of the British and French armies, now engaged in a very severe battle, beset on three sides and from the air, is evidently extremely grave. The surrender of the Belgian army in this manner adds appreciably to their grievous peril but the troops are in good heart and fighting with the utmost discipline. (Cheers). I expect to make a statement to the House on the general position when the result of the intense struggle now going on can be known and measured. This may not be until the beginning fo next week. Meanwhile the House must prepare itself for hard and heavy tidings. Nothing which may happen in this battle can in any way relieve us from the duty to defend the world cause to which we have bound ourselves, nor should events destroy confidence in our powers to make our way as formerly in history, through disaster and grief to the ultimate defeat of the enemy. (Loud cheers).

Mr Churchill paid a tribute to the Belgian army and said it fought very bravely, and suffered and inflicted heavy losses. (Cheers). He added that the sense of brotherhood among those conquered would play a part in days to come better then than those through which we were passing.

Mr Churchill also said he would not state what action, in conjunction with the powerful assistance of the Navy and the Air Force would be taken or hoped to be taken. Mr H. B. Lees-Smifh (Labour) thanked Mr Churchill and said: “Whatever may be the news during the next few days or weeks we have not yet touched the fringe of this country’s resolution.” Sir Percy Harris (Lib.) said: “The dignified statement reflected the feeling of the House and the whole nation.”

The House thereupon proceeded to other business.

GERMAN PRISONERS TRANSFER TO DOMINIONS .SUGGESTED. DANGER OF PARACHUTISTS. (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, May 28. The Minister of Information, Mr Duff Cooper, will attend meetings of the War Cabinet in order that he may be informed of high decisions. Replying in the House of Commons to a suggestion that prisoners should be transferred to the colonies and Dominions in view of the danger of parachutists, the Financial Secretary of the War Office, Mr Law, said the question of disposal of prisoners was under consideration. LEOPOLD’S DECISION PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT TOLD : BY TELEPHONE. (Received This Day, 9.15 a.m.) WASHINGTON, May 28. President Roosevelt learned of King Leopold’s decision from Mr W. C. Bullitt (American Ambassador in France) by telephone from France. The President’s secretary said: “As President Roosevelt said by radio recently, these are sad days. This does not apply necessarily to King Leopold's action but to the news. STORMY MEETING WHEN LEOPOLD REVEALED PLAN. CABINET MINISTERS WALK OUT. (Received This Day, 1.30 p.m.) PARIS, May 28. M. Spaak (Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs) revealed that Leopold propounded a plan for capitulation during a stormy meeting with four members of the Belgian Cabinet at the King’s Chateau at 5 a.m. on May 25. The Ministers walked out, after proclaiming their intention to continue the war. Leopold declared that he intended to remain at the Chateau, which is twelve miles from Bruges. The “Daily Telegraph's’’ Paris correspondent says that though the surrender was totally unexpected, diplomatic quarters knew King Leopold took up an unco-operative attitude. Shortly after the outbreak of the war it was believed, hovzever, that he had accepted his position as an ally and realised that he could not be placed in supreme command of the Belgian front. Apparently, resentment rankled in his mind, coupled with an unworthy suspicion that he was about to be abandoned and he therefore decided that it would be better to bargain his way out.