NO ARMISTICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 October 1940, Page 7

NO ARMISTICE

MUCH LESS A TREATY OF PEACE CONCLUDED WITH GERMANY BY BELGIUM. POSITION OF GOVERNMENT 5 DEFINED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 24. The Belgian Finance Minister, M. Gutt, said that the arrival in England of the Prime Minister, M. Pierlot, and the Foreign Minister, MJ. Spaak, made possible for the first time a full statement of the position of the Belgian Government in Britain. He said King Leopold, as a prisoner of war, had caused the executive powers normally vested in him to pass to Cabinet. “But no armistice convention, much less a peace treaty, has been concluded with Germany.” There were from 200,000 to 300,000 Belgians of military age in France and Belgian war material and rollingstock were still in that country. Speaking of the Belgian’s efforts to continue the struggle, M. Gutt declared the situation to be as follows: ‘•A number of Ministers have relinquished their posts. Others are here in London. They are the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Colonies and Finance. We are exercising, in full and alone, governmental authority. We are the only legal Government of Belgium. Nobody can, according to our constitution, set up another, either in occupied Belgium or elsewhere. “The aim of our Government is the liberation of Belgium, and the liberation of our King, who is a prisoner of war, and the Restoration of our country's territorial integrity and independence. AGREEMENT WITH BRITAIN. “Mr. Churchill, speaking in the House of Commons on June 6, said it was the unswerving aim of his Majesty’s Government to secure for Belgium effective restoration of her freedom and independence. “No Belgian will ever forget how, in the early morning of May 10, when Brussels was already being bombed by German aeroplanes without our receiving any ultimatum or declaration of war, our call to Britain to fulfil her guarantee met an unreserved response. Nor shall we ever forget the gallantry with which the British Army fought with us in the battle of Belgium. However hard may be the trials still to come, we know we shall live through them and when we say we shall not give up fighting till Belgian soil is free again, we are voicing the unanimous will of both countries. To attain this aim we will act in full agreement with the British Government.” Free Belgians, the Minister declared, were determined to take their full share of military action against Germany. He told how officers and men were coming to Britain at the risk of their lives. Their spirit was magnificent. A Belgian unit was already charged with the defence of a small sector of England and the men were there with their own colours proudly flying with the Union JacK. Gallant Belgian pilots were also serving with the R.A.F., and some had been killed in the great air battle. Many more were eagerly awaiting in training camps the moment when they would be sent out to join in the battle. M. Gutt concluded: “Belgium today is the same Belgium which fought 26 years ago, hand in hand with Britain. We are fighting again the same enemy. We are fighting him hand in hand. We are going to win again.”