CHANGED WARFARE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21197, 21 August 1940, Page 7

CHANGED WARFARE

1914=18 AND 1940 MR CHURCHILL CHEERED ASSURANCE OF VICTORY (Offlclnl Wireless) (Received Aug. 21, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Aug. 20 Mr Churchill’s speech lasted nearly fifty minutes, and frequently was loudly cheered. The Prime Minister made a comparison of the character of this and the last war. The last time men fought by hurling masses of steel at one another. This was a conflict of strategy, organisation, technique, science, mechanics and morale. The British casualties in the first year of the Great War were 365,000. The first year of this war is drawing to a

close and the British killed, wounded, prisoners and missing, including civilians, numbered about 92,000, of which a large proportion are prisoners. Throughout all Europe for one man killed or wounded in the last twelve months perhaps five were killed or wounded in 1914-15. “The slaughter is but a fraction, but the consequences to the belligerents have been even more deadly,” said Mr Churchill. “We have seen great countries, with powerful armies, dashed out of coherent existence in a few weeks. We have seen the French Republic and the renowned French Army beaten into complete and total submission with less than the casualties they suffered in any one of half-a-dozen battles of 1914-18. “Moves are made upon scientific and strategic boards, advantages are gained by mechanical means, as a result of which scores of millions of men become incapable of further resistance or judge themselves incapable of further resistance, and the fearful game of chess proceeds from check to mate by which the unhappy players seem to be inexorably bound.” Suited to British Genius But Mr Churchill thought this new type of war, in which the entire population fought, was well suited to British genius. Nutured in freedom and individual responsibility and with a united will the British people would give a better account of themselves, because they were not products of totalitarian uniformity but of tolerance and variety. Hitler was now sprawled over Europe, but the British offensive springs were being slowly comDressed and Britain was resolutely and methodically preparing herself for the campaigns of next year and the year after. Many opportunities would lie open to the amphibious power. “One of the ways to bring the war to a speedy end is to convince the enemy by deeds that we have both the will and the means not only to go on indefinitely but to strike heavy and unexpected blows. The road to victory may not be so long as we expect, but we have no right to count upon this. Be it long or short, rough or smooth, we mean to reach our journey’s end.”