CHURCHILL CHEERED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 February 1941, Page 6

CHURCHILL CHEERED

ON VISIT TO PORTSMOUTH

NAVAL TOWN STANDING UP TO ONSLAUGHTS.

CONFIDENCE IN VICTORY

(British Official WirelessJ ißeceived This Day, 11.59 a.m.) RUGBY, January 31. In a three hours' visit to Portsmouth today, the Prime Minister, Mr. Winston Churchill, inspected the dockyard and saw bomb damage to the city. Throughout the dockyards he was cheered by crowds. With spontaneous cheers, there were shouts: "Are we downhearted-" answered with a terrific -No!" in which Mr Churchill joined. At the end of his tour. Mr. Churchill congratulated the Lord Mayor and members of the council on the manner in which Portsmouth was standing up to the enemy's onslaughts. He said the enemy had been decidedly beaten by tin? R.A.F. and was not able last autumn .to take Britain. "We have seen our friends across the ocean." he said, "taking an even warmer interest in the struggle for freedom here, and one cannot help feeling enormously encouraged by the ever-growing movement of aid to Britain which is laying hold of the mighty masses of the United States." Speaking of the day in which the tables have been turned on Italy. Mr Churchill said that instead of marching on in triumph to Athens and Cairo, the Italians were now forced to bring Germany to rescue and rule them. “We shall come through," Mr Churchill, declared; "we cannot tell when or how. but that we shall, come through none of us have any doubts whatever." Mr Hopkins accompanied Mr Churchill, who called out: "Three cheers for the President of the United States." The response to the appeal was deafening.