PRESENT OUTLOOK GRAVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 February 1942, Page 3

PRESENT OUTLOOK GRAVE

BUT ALLIES ASSEMBLING MIGHTY FORCES Mr Churchill’s War Survey REFERENCES TO RUSSIA AND UNITED STATES NEED OF CONTINUED RESOLUTE ACTION

LONDON, February 15. A survey of the war situation was made by the British Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, in a broadcast to people throughout the British Empire, India and Burma, Russia and

the United States. Recalling the war situation at the time he made his broadcast at the end of August, when a declaration of British and American policy was made, Mr Churchill said it was well to look back and see what had happened to their fortunes and to their prospects in the past six months. At that time the United States was only a benevolent neutral, the German armies seemed to be tearing the Russian armies to bits and were advancing on Leningrad, Moscow and Rostov and striking into the heart of Russia, Britain had to meet the threat of German

invasion, she had to defend the Nile Valley and the Suez Canal and to bring across the Atlantic the food, raw materials and finished munitions without which she could not live and could not wage war, Britain’s resources were then strained to the utmost and she had stood alone for a whole year. She had felt it her duty to do everything in her power to help Russia to meet the Nazi invaders. It was little enough that she had done for Russia, considering all that Russia had .done to beat Hitler. It was true, Mr Churchill said, that Britain’s position last August was vastly better than in the previous August, when France had just fallen, but, looking at it bluntly and squarely,

the United States was neutral and fiercely divided, the Russian armies were falling back, the German armies were triumphant and unscathed and the Japanese menace was ugly—presenting a black and anxious scene. How did matters stand now? asked Mr Churchill. First and foremost the United States was unitedly and whole-heart-edly in the war with Britain, the Russian armies had not been defeated, Leningrad and Moscow had not been taken, Britain’s Russian allies were advancing victoriously and for the first time had broken the Hitler legend. Here there were two tremendous fundamental facts, which dominated the whole world situation and would make victory possible in a form never possible before.

JAPAN’S MADNESS

Referring to the entry of Japan into the war, Mr Churchill said it had never been in Britain’s power, while fighting Germany and Italy, to defend the Pacific and the Far East singlehanded against Japan. He could not believe it was in the interests of Japan to burst into the war against both Britain and the United States and he believed that criminal madness would be the verdict of history when Japan’s acts of aggression and the events of 1942 and 1943 came to be recorded. Mr Churchill paid a tribute to the wonderful strength of the Chinese people, who single-handed had fought the Japanese aggressors for 4£ years and left them baffled and dismayed. The Allies must not underrate the gravity of the outlook and the efficiency of the Japanese war machine, nor must they undervalue the gigantic forces now ranged on the side of those fighting for world freedom. He had to warn the people ’ that hard adventures were ahead for many months. They would stiffer severe losses, with many reverses and anxieties, but they must remain united.

RUSSIA’S FINE EXAMPLE

He pointed out that the Russian people, in face of severe reverses, had stood firm. Stalin had found no Quislings. Britain would strain every nerve for the safety of Australia and New Zealand. With the fall of Singapore the whole of Malaya had been overrun and other dangers were ga-

thering about the Far East, and the dangers at Home and in the Middle East had not diminished. It was under these conditions that the British race showed its qualities and its genius and from its misfortunes gained the vital impulse of victory. They were no longer alone, but were in the company of three-quarters of the human race. The whole future of mankind depended on their actions in their fight for freedom. So far they had not failed and they must not fail now.