Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1941. A MAN OF DEEDS AND WORDS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 February 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1941. A MAN OF DEEDS AND WORDS.

lie is reported, the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom. Sir Harry Batterbee, said in an address to the Dannevirke Rotary Club, in which he spoke of the very difficult and critical months that lie ahead, that: — He did not think Mr. Churchill had been given enough credit for his courage and foresight in rallying the forces of the British Empire during the dark days following Dunkirk and the collapse of France .and in instantly setting in motion the preparations which had enabled the present offensive in Libya to succeed. , . This form of words perhaps was used only in an attempt io give Mr. Churchill the credit to which he is so well entitled. It may be. indeed, that only the historian of a later day will do full justice to the British Prime Minister for the part he played in the time of tragedy and menace of which Sir. Harry Batterbee spoke, but it certainly would be erroneous to suggest that there is any failure, so far as an overwhelming proportion of the British people, in their Homeland and in the overseas Empire, .are concerned, to appreciate and accept the genuinely inspirational character of Mr. Churchill’s leadership. Jf is in their response to his leadership that the British people have best demonstrated and are demonstrating their faith in the man who has arisen to lead them in the greatest emergency their nation has ever known, in the rallying of the nation at his call, Mr. Churchill has his finest justification and reward—a vastly greater reward titan showers of praise or any dignities or honours that can be bestowed upon him. Eor many years, including those of the last war. he was something of a stormy petrel in British politics. Yet today he towers over his contemporaries as the man of all others fitted to lead the nation in a supreme crisis. This is the verdict equally of simple folk and of those with a more instructed outlook on life. In what manner he could be given more credit for his leadership than is here implied it is not easy to imagine. It may be taken for granted in any case that, just as his broadcast of five months ago roused the nation to a supreme effort in days of mortal peril Mr. Churchill’s address to Britain and the Empire will impart new force and drive to the expanding effort for victory that has now become possible. In his opening passage on this occasion, the British Prime Minister observed that: “In war time there is a lot to be said for the motto: ‘Deeds, not words. ’ ’’ As they are used by Mr. Churchill, however, words servo an entirely practical and positive purpose as a record of deeds and an inspiration to further effort and achievement. Master of words as he is, in his war leadership he is primarly a man of notion who uses words sparingly. In the present, great crisis of British and world history he is adhering .studiously to principles he himself enunciated on a relatrvely minor occasion—a debate in the House of Commons on tin Economy Bill—nearly fifteen years ago. He said in the course of that debate ;— But words, which on the proper occasions are a most powerful engine, lose their weight and value when they are not backed by facts and winged by truth, when they are obviously only the expression of strong feeling and are not related in any way to the actual facts of the situation. As a war leader. Mr. Churchill has made and is making unsparing calls on effort and on unsleeping vigilance. He has at the same time seen to it that the words he knows so well how to use as a “most powerful engine” are at all times “backed hy facts and winged by truth.” He holds the trust of the nation because in good and evil fortune he has set the facts of its situation frankly and fairly before it. It counts for much that a leader with this record, surveying the war at the stage to which it Ims been carried, is able to say : — I have been so careful since 1 have been Prime Minister not to encourage false hopes or prophesy smooth tilings, and yet the tale that I have to tell today is one which must justly and rightly give us cause for deep thankfulness, and also. I think, for solid comfort and rejoicing. Xo one has emphasised more clearly than Mr. Churchill the dangers that have yet to be faced, but he spoke for a solidly united nation in his ringing declaration that Britain will not weaken or tire in her effort for victory and in the pithy concluding words of his message to the President of the lulled States: “Give us the tools and we shall finish the job.” FAMINE AND ITS CAUSES. ESI DEXT Hoover no doubt is act uated by the best intentions in his continued agitation lor the passage through the British blockade of food supplies for the inlmbitants of countries which have been overrun by Xazi Germany Xevertheless, in the extent to which his agitation gains support and carries weight Mr. Hoover is playing into the hands of the Axis aggressors. Much of the answer to be made to the ex-Presi-dent s appeal was summed up by the British Minister of Shipping (Mr. Cross) in his .statement the other day that: “If there is a food shortage anywhere in Europe it is due to German plundering and not to the British blockade.” Many circumstantial and authoritative accounts have been given of the seizure and removal by the .Nazis of the food stocks of invaded countries. In her invasion of the smaller European countries and Prance, Xazi Germany deliberately wrecked the trade and a considerable part of the productive organisation of these countries. It has to he remembered, too, that some staple foodstuffs, in common with other articles of common necessity, are directly convertible into munitions of war Eor years (he Xazis have been lowering the living standards of the German masses in accordance with Goering's declared policy nt' guns before butter. The same policy has been applied in a much more rigorous form to the coiintrtes Germany has meantime siihjugal cd. The adoption of Mr. Hoover’s proposals to send food supplies Io the eoillllrie-, HOW occupied by the Xazis Would amount to nothing else in ultimate ctTeet than addim.' Io (lerinany \ available stocks of war material. The Xazis. for example, might allow stocks of loo<l sent to Holland or Xorwav to reach their intended destinations I'mloiilitedly. however, the fact that these supplies had been received would be regarded bv the Xazis as a reason for sqhjee! mg- count! o-s com-.-riled to additional exactions which Would cancel out or more than cancel out tin* benefit derived from the receipt of food stocks allowed to pass through the blockade It is announced that Mr. Hoover has obtained German permission to supervise an inquiry regarding European food needs. Xo doubt 111 i-G<•f in a 11 | u- !’ 11l 1-s1 o • i was given very readily. It is not long sitiee the oftieial German propaganda :ig<-m--.-s were assert mg and demonstratin'/ that there was no food shortage in Europe and that the British blockade had tailed Th.- same agencies will tiov. albi’m that tin- countries Germany lias invaded are in <lang.*r <•! famine *m account of the F.ri’i-ii blockade The ’acts are that any deprivations these <•<.u?■: ri»--are ••miuring ar-- an outcome si.lep,- <,* German >i-’!rn"e a: A plunder, and tiiat Hie only remedy is in makiiw' an <-n t of <i--rman ami o! its au,h‘>rs