"Behind them, behind us, behind the armies and fleets of Britain and France gather a group of shattered states and bludgeoned races—Czechs, Poles, Norwegians, Danes, Netherlands, Belgians—upon all of whom a long night of barbarism will descend, unbroken even by the star of hope, unless we conquer, as conquer we must, and as conquer we shall."
"I speak to you for the first time as Prime Minister in a solemn hour in the life of our country and the Empire, of our Allies, and above all in the cause of freedom," declared Mr. Churchill at the start, and then continued "A tremendous battle is raging in France and Flanders. The Germans, by a remarkable combination of air bombing and heavily armoured tanks, have broken through the French defences north of the Maginot Line, and strong columns of their armoured vehicles are ravaging open country which, for the first day or two, was without defenders, "They have penetrated deeply, and spread alarm and confusion in. their track, Behind, there are now pouring infantry in lorries, and behind them again large masses are moving forward, "A regroupment of French armies to make head against, and also to strike at, this intruding charge has been proceeding over several days largely assisted by magnificent feats of the Royal Air Force.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.