FOR WAR DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 April 1941, Page 6

FOR WAR DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

Mr Churchill Calls for Poise and Steadiness OPERATIONS IN GREECE CARRIED OUT WITH EXTRAORDINARY SKILL FULL INFORMATION IN HAND ABOUT LIBYA (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.28 a.m.) RUGBY, April 22. When asked in the House of Commons for a statement on the war situation, Mr Churchill said he would deprecate any proposal for a debate at the present time. “I hope, he said, “the House will once again show its forbearance to those charged with the conduct of the war, and display to the world those qualities of poise and steadiness which have been its characteristic on so many anxious and difficult occasions.’’ Giving some supplementary information regarding the bombardment of Tripoli, Mr Churchill said that on their way to Tripoli, aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm intercepted five German troop-carrying planes and shot down four in flames. He said he had not heard whether they were full or empty. The Fleet, he added, had not been seriously molested, and suffered no loss in ships. Replying to a question, Mr Churchill said it was quite obvious that once the situation had reached a momentary arrest, a full statement should be made to the House as to what had happened in the past. As to criticisms of the scanty information being given meanwhile, he must frankly say they had the very greatest difficulty in obtaining - full accounts of the difficult and intricate movements of our forces in Greece. “They have been of a most complicated character,’’ he added, “and carried out with extraordinary skill, but even the Government has not received from day to day full information from the commanders. That has not been any hindrance to the course of action or operation, and I have asked that we shall have fuller reports if that be possible without prejudice to our interests on the spot in future. I should deprecate a statement by the Foreign Secretary (Mr Eden) on his tour, either in public or secret session at present, because I do not think the materials are available for the necessary presentation of the Government’s case to the House.’’ ;

He added that the difficulty of obtaining authentic news did not apply to Libya. Regarding operations there we were, he thought, very accurately informed.