NO HALT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 December 1941, Page 5

NO HALT

IN ALLIED AR EFFORT MR CHURCHILL’S ADDRESS IN OTTAWA. CANADA’S UNIQUE POSITION IN EMPIRE. LONDON, December 30. Cheers and prolonged applause greeted the British Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill when 'he spoke to the members of two Houses of Parliament at Ottawa. Air Churchill referred to Canada’s war contribution and gave a brief review of war developments. His address was the first he had made, as Prime Minister, on Dominion sod.

Stating that he brought a message of goodwill and affection from everyone in the Motherland, Mr Churchill said Canada occupied a unique position in the British Empire by her evergrowing friendship and intimate association with the United States. She was a potent magnet drawing together those in the Old World and those in the New World, who were now united in a deadly struggle for life against a common foe. The contribution of Canada in the Imperial war effort had been magnificent. The Canadian Army now stationed in England had cherished the day when it would come into contact with the enemy. It had stood and still stood in a key position to strike at the invader should he arrive on their shores. In a few months, when the invasion season returned, the Canadian Army might be engaged in one of the most frightful battles the world had ever seen. On the other hand, its presence might deter the enemy from attempting to fight such a battle on British soil. The Canadian Government had imposed no limitation on the use of the Canadian Army, whether upon the Continent, in the Empire, or elsewhere and he believed it was very unlikely that the war would end without the Canadian Army coming to close grips with the Germans. At Hong Kong, Canadians had played a valiant part in saving precious days.

EMPIRE AIR SCHEME. Another magnificent contribution made by Canada to the Imperial war effort was the wonderful and gigantic Empire Air Training Scheme, which had been in full career for nearly two years, under conditions free from all interference from the enemy. The production of corvettes and merchant ships was proceeding in Canada on a scale almost equal to .. the building of the United Kingdom. The dangerous corner had been turned, said Mr Churchill, referring to the general war situation, and every month and year saw the Empire’s strength growing. They would never descend to the German and Japanese level, but' if anybody liked to play rough, Britain could play rough, too.' After referring to his meeting with President Roosevelt at Washington, Mr Churchill said America had no thought except the total and final extirpation of Hitler and the other Axis Powers. There would be no halting, no half measures, no compromise or parleys until the world had been purged of the crimes and villainies of the Nazi gangsters. The Allies could not afford for a moment to relax. They must drive themselves forwardwith unrelenting zeal. Everyone, man and woman, old and young, had a part to play. The forces ranged against' them had asked for total war and let them make sure they got it. COLLAPSE OF FRANCE. Touching on the collapse of France, in which Mr Churchill said that country was misled by its generals, he stated that had France continued to fight, as it was her duty and her interest to do, from North Africa, Hitler might have been driven out of the world by the end of 1940. France, he believed, would, however, take her place in the great company of liberated and victorious nations. He contrasted the valiant and staunch part being played by the Dutch, who still stood firm in the struggle. The Russian army was waging furious war with increasing success along a thousand mile front, and General Auchinleck, at the head of the army in Libya, was striking hard and mopping up the German and Italian forces which had attempted to invade Egypt. An important battle was being fought at that moment in Cyrenaica and he had confidence in its outcome.

After delivering a brief passage in French, Mr Churchill referred to the improving war outlook and to the marshalling of the forces of Britain and the Empire, the United States and Russia. “Whatever the cost, whatever the sacrifice,” he said, “we shall stand by one another, true and faithful comrades, and do our duty, with God’s help, to the end.” It was stated in Washington today that Mr Churchill will return to the White House, following on his visit to Ottawa, to resume his talks with President Roosevelt and with British and American army leaders.