Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1940. THE EMPIRE’S WAR TASK.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 November 1940, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1940. THE EMPIRE’S WAR TASK.

(SURVEYING the war outlook in his speech in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Air Churchill, as his custom is, laid full emphasis on the gravity of the problems and difficulties yet to be faced by the British nation. In assuming office as Prime Minister he promised the nation only blood, tears, toil and sweat until victory had been won. Adherence to that grim text finds its justification very obviously in many contemporary facts of the war, not least the menace of enemy U-boats working from a virtually unlimited stretch of open coast—a menace made vastly more serious, as Air Churchill and other members of the House of Commons justly declared, by the neutrality of Eire. Here and in other directions, there are unmeasured dangers yet to be faced and overcome, but there are other factors of the situation, with some of which Air Churchill dealt, while in regard to others he practised a studied reserve, which illuminate the future with hope. His demand that the nation should steel itself to years if need be of unrelenting and unremitting effort in the prosecution of the war gives added value and significance to his claim that Britain has won a great and historic victory in repelling German air attacks and in inflicting losses on the enemy of three to one in machines and ton to one in men. On September 4, Hitler declared that he would wipe out British cities. After months in which the Luftwaffe has done its best to give effect to that, threat, the British Prime Minister is able to say:—■ Viewing the whole scene, alike in its splendour and its devastation, I see no reason to regret that Herr Hitler tried to break the British spirit by the brutal bombing of our cities and countryside. It was in regard to the rising offensive power of the Bditish Empire that Mr Churchill was most reticent, but it'is not in', doubt that that power is expanding apace and will make itself felt increasingly throughout the areas of war. The right lead is given by Air Churchill in faking nothing for granted beforehand and in setting full, emphasis on the difficulties by which Britain and her allies are still confronted. It is even at this stage a truth worth bearing in mind, however, that Hitler and his jackal ally most certainly would not dare to emulate Air Churchill’s frankness in setting before the people over whom they rule the facts, from their standpoint, of life war situation and outlook.