UTMOST EFFORTS NEEDED FOR VICTORY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1942, Page 3

UTMOST EFFORTS NEEDED FOR VICTORY

:/ '.-s; !.•? ■ Very Bad Time Ahead MR CHURCHILL SURVEYS EVENTS IN FAR EAST GREAT STRENGTH OF JAPANESE (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright.) LONDON, January 28. After reviewing the various theatres of war, Mr Churchill, speaking in the House of Commons in a debate on the war situation, said: “After two and a half years of fighting we have only just managed to keep our heads above water. In spite of all the painful infirmities, the complacency, and the lack of organising power which are largely attributed to us, we are beginning to see the way through. ’ ’lt looks as if we are in for a very bad time, but, provided we all stand together and use our utmost strength, it looks also, more than it ever did before, as if we are going to win. While facing Germany and Italy we never had sufficient arms to provide effectively for the defence of the Far East. “M}‘ whole argument so far has led up to that point. It has been the policy of Cabinet, almost at all costs, to avoid disagreement with Japan unless we were sure that the United States would come in.

CLOSING OF BURMA ROAD “We had to stoop to the closing of the Burma Road for some months,” said Mr Churchill.' “I remember that some of our critics were very angry about it, but we had to do it. There has never been a time when Britain or the British Empire single-handed could fight Germany and Italy or could wage the Battle of Britain, the Battle of the Atlantic, and the Battle of the Middle East, and at the same time stand prepared to defend Burma, the Malay Peninsula, and generally the Far East against the impact of a vast military empire like Japan, with more than 70 mobile divisions, the third navy in the world, and a great air force and their, in all, 80,000,000 or 90,000,000 warlike Japanese.” JAPAN LOSES CHANCE Mr Churchill said it seemed utterly irrational to suppose that the Japanese, having thrown away the opportunity of attacking us in the autumn of 1940, when we were much weaker and all alone, should at this period plunge into a desperate struggle against the combined forces of the Empire and the United States. “Nevertheless,” said the Prime Minister, “nations, like individuals, commit irratiophl acts. As time went on, we had h greater assurance that if Japan ran amuck, we would not find ourselves alone. We reinforced Singapore to a considerable extent and - e Hong Kong to an extent which we were advised would be sufficient to hold the actual island for a long time. Hopes, however, have been dashed by the passing of naval superiority in the Pacific to Japan. ’ It will remain in their hands long enough for Japan to inflict many heavy and painful losses upon all the nations with possessions in the Far East.” I SEA AND AIR POWER Mr Churchill pointed out that, however well possessions were garrisoned, the power with the command of the sea could go round to each, destroying and capturing garrisons, ravaging and pillaging, and pass on to the next. These conditions would be reversed when the balance of sea and air power changed. Speaking of Malaya, Mr Churchill merely said that the troops had been considerably reinforced and since December quite a lot had been going on. Together with America, steps had been taken to move from many directions everything a ship could carry and air power could fly to suitable points. They must, however, not indulge in light and extravagant hopes, or suppose that the advantages the enemy had gained could soon be easily taken from him. “In spite -of the many tragedies of the past and future, and with all the pity for those who have suffered, I must profess profound thankfulness for what has happened throughout the world in the last few months,” said Mr Churchill.