MR CHURCHILL’S REVIEW

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21211, 6 September 1940, Page 5

MR CHURCHILL’S REVIEW

BRITAIN IN GOOD POSITION NATION PREPARED-CONFIDENCE IN VICTORY RESULTS IN AIR DISAPPOINTING FOR HITLER COfficial Wireless) (Received Sept. 6, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 5 The Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, prefaced his eagerly-awaited speech in the House of Commons with the announcement that it was proposed that the House should adjourned today until September 17 and should meet also on September 18 and 19. Referring to the agreement with the United States, Mr Churchill said: “These memorable transactions between Britain and the United States, which I foreshadowed when last I addressed the House, have been completed to the general satisfaction of the British and American peoples and to the encouragement of our friends all over the world. “It would be a mistake to try to read into the official notes more than the documents bear on their faces. The exchanges are simply measures of mutual assistance rendered to one another by two friendly nations in a spirit of confidence, sympathy and goodwill. These measures are linked in a formal agreement, and they must be accepted or rejected. Only very ignorant persons would suggest that the transfer of American destroyers to the British flag constitutes the slightest violation of international law or affects in the smallest degree the non-belligerency of the United States. “No doubt Hitler will not like this transference of destroyers. I have no doubt that he will pay the United States out if ever he gets the chance. That is why I am very glad that the armed air and naval frontiers of the United States have been advanced along a wide arc into the Atlantic Ocean and that this will enable them to take the danger by the throat while it is still hundreds of miles away from their homeland. “The Admiralty tells us also that it is very glad to have these fifty destroyers and they will come in most convenient to bridge the gap which inevitably intervenes before our considerable war programme of new construction comes into service.”

Much Stronger at Sea “I suppose the House realises that we are going to be a good deal stronger next year at sea than we are now, though that is quite strong enough for the work in hand. There will be no delay in bringing the American destroyers into active service; in fact, British crews are already meeting them at various ports where they are being delivered. That is a case of what one might call the long arm of coincidence.” Referring to recent events affecting Rumania, Mr Churchill said: “We do not propose to recognise any territorial change which takes place during the war unless with the free consent and goodwill of the parties concerned.” Casualties in Britain The Prime Minister, referring to the air raids, said 1075 civilians were killed during August in Britain and a slightly greater number seriously injured. About 800 houses were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Heavier Air Attacks Likely Turning to air activity in the last two months, Mr Churchill said: “Though August was a real fighting month neither side put out its real strength. The Germans made a very substantial and important effort to gain mastery and they have certainly put forth a larger proportion of their total air strength than we have found necessary up to the present to employ against them. Their attempts to dominate the Royal Air Force and our anti-aircraft defences by daily attacks proved very costly to them. “The broad figures of three to one in machines and six to one in pilots and crews of which we are assured do not by any means represent the total injury inflicted upon the enemy. “We must be prepared for heavier fighting in this month of September. The enemy’s need to obtain a decision is very great and if he has the numbers with which we hitherto have credited him he should be able to magnify and multiply his attacks during September. “Firm confidence is expressed by the Royal Air Force in its ability to withstand a largely-increased scale of attack. Expansion of Air Force Mr Churchill, referring to the great expansion in the Royal Air Force, said: “Britain is far nearer the German total aircraft than was expected at this early period of the war. As far as air attack is concerned we have found it to be, up to the present, far less severe than what we prepared ourselves to endure and what we are still ready to endure.” He instanced the fact that over 150,000 beds had stood open in the war hospitals for over a year. The damage as a result of the air attack had been far less than was estimated by the committee which considered and decided against the possibility of an insurance scheme against air raid damage to property. He had, therefore, asked th~ Chancellor of the Exchequer to consider the best way of making a further review of the possibility of such a scheme in the light of the facts as now known. Meanwhile the Chancellor had agreed, in addition to the satisfactory provisions already made in respect to personal injuries and the immediate needs of those smitten, to abolish the upper limits of payment to such persons for clothing and to pay up to 100 per cent on such damage to claimants of an income not above £4OO a year. Similar treatment would be accorded workmen wVose tools had been lost or damaged and to small retailers to enable ttyem to replenish the stocks essential for a continuance of trading.

Turning to the system of air raid warnings, which he felt might well be revised, Mr Churchill said:

“There is really no use and no good sense in having these prolonged banchee howlings of sirens two or three times a day over wide areas simply because hostile aircraft are flying to or from some target which no one can possibly know or even guess. I, therefore, have asked the various departments concerned to review the whole position as a matter of urgency.” Danger of Invasion Mr Churchill, concluding, said: “No one must suppose that the danger of invasion is past, but I am not giving away any military secret if I say that we are very much better off than we were a few months ago, and if the problem of invading Britain was a difficult one in June it has become far more difficult and a far larger problem in September. In the Middle East “While all preparations for home defence have been going forward on a gigantic scale we have not hesitated to send a continuous stream of convoys with reinforcements to the Middle East. In particular a few days ago we found it possible almost to double the effective strength of our Fleet in the Eastern Mediterranean by sending some of our most powerful vessels to reinforce the flag of Sir Andrew Cunningham, Admiral in the Eastern Mediterranean. “This movement was plainly visible to the Italians, but was not molested by them. We have every intention of maintaining our positions there with our utmost strength and of increasing our sea power and the control which follows from sea power throughout the Mediterranean, not only in the eastern basin but in the western basin. “In this way both at home and abroad we shall persevere along our course, however the winds may blow.”