MR CHURCHILLS SURVEY OF WAR SITUATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 November 1940, Page 5

MR CHURCHILLS SURVEY OF WAR SITUATION

Salient Facts of Battle for Britain ENEMY’S DISPROPORTIONATE LOSSES ATTACK THAT HAS DWINDLED (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) RUGBY, November 5. The Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, began his eagerly awaited House of Commons statement on the war situation by a review of the progress of German air attacks since September 4. He said: Herr Hitler had declared his will to wipe out the cities of Britain. Mr Churchill said he did not doubt that the Nazi leader at that time sincerely believed it was in his power to carry his will into effect, but the cities of Britain were still standing, although 14,000 civilians had been killed and 20,000 seriously injured—nearly four-fifths of them in the capital. A great deal of house property had been destroyed or damaged, but nothing which could not be covered by the Government’s insurance scheme. Very little damage had been done to munition and aircraft production, although a certain amount of time had been lost through air raid warnings. This lost time would have to be made up as the country settled down to the new conditions. None of the services upon which the life of great cities depended—water, fuel, electricity, gas and sewerage—had broken down. On the contrary, although there must inevitably be local shortages, all the authorities concerned with these vital functions of the modern community felt themselves to be on top of their job. Transport had presented greater difficulty, but its problems were being solved in a manner tolerable to' the great numbers of people who came into our great cities every day. Shelters were being multiplied and improved.