CONDUCT OF WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 January 1942, Page 4

CONDUCT OF WAR

THE BRITISH POLICY PARTICIPATION OF DOMINIONS. IN CABINET DELIBERATIONS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 12.15 p.m.) RUGBY. January 27. Mr Churchill paid a tribute to the fighting powers of the British, South African, New Zealand. Indian, Free French and Polish soldiers and airmen who played their part in Libya and also to the stubborn and steadfast defence of Tobruk by Australian and British troops, for seven hard months. He added that the valour of the Rus- : sian Army had warded off another threat to the Nile Valley, India, the Persian Gulf and the Suez Canal. Dealing with the participation of the Dominions in the conduct of the war, Mr Churchill said: “We always have been ready to form an Imperial War Cabinet, containing the Prime Ministers of the four Dominions. Whenever any of them come here they take their seats at cur table.” Then, after referring to the valuable visits of Messrs Mackenzie King, Fraser and Menzies and the mission of Sir Earle Page, Mr Churchill said the Australian Government now asked specifically that an accredited representative of the Commonwealth have f the right to be heard in the War ‘ Cabinet in the formulation and direction of policy. We have, of course, agreed to this. New Zealand has felt bound to ask for similar representation and the same facilities will, of course, be available for Canada and South Africa. The presence at the Cabinet table of Dominion representatives now empowered to take decisions, but only as representatives of their Governments, evidently raises some serious problems, but none, I trust, which cannot be got over. i Mr Churchill also referred to the gigantic increase in Britain’s war pro- • duction, stating that in 1940 we pro- * duced more than double the munitions : equipment of the United States, which ! was arming heavily and he added our : production still is increasing by leaps : and bounds. Stressing the importance of transport in the supply of war mat- ; erial to the Far East Mr Churchill ■ mentioned that 60,000 men were concentrated at Singapore, but priority in modern aircraft, tanks, anti-aircraft ■ guns and artillery was accorded the Nile Valley. For this decision, in its broadest tragic aspect, I take the fullest personal responsibility. Why should I be called upon to pick out scapegoats and throw the blame on generals, airmen and sailors —drive away loyal and trusted colleagues and submit to the clamour of certain sections of the British and Australian Press. If large masses of troops and equipment had been kept and spread over the Far East for months we should have failed in our engagements to Russia and lost the battle of Cyrenaica. He attributed the Japaneses successes in the Far East to the fact that Japan had gained control of the seas in that area and continuer: “We should not allow ourselves to be rattled at this or that place being captured, because, once the ultimate power of the united nations has been brought to bear, the opposite process will come into the plan and we will move forward remorselessly to a finl conclusion, provided we persevere, provided we fight with the utmost vigour and tenacity and, (above all, provided we remain united. Mr Churchill also referred to the setting up'of a combined chiefs of staff committee in Washington for control of military, • naval and air operations and said, for instance, the eastern approaches to Australia and New Zealand had been styled the Anzac area and were under the United. States command. The communications between the Anzac area and North America l; were the United States’s responsibility ! while the communications across the Indian Oceon remained the British responsibility.