After touching on the withdrawal from Somaliland of British troops for action elsewhere, Mr. Churchill continued: "Far larger operations no doubt impend in the Middle Eastern theatre, and I shall certainly not attempt to prophesy their probable course. We have large armies there. snd many means of reinforcing them. We have complete sea command in the Eastern Mediterranean. We intend to do our best to give a full account of ourselves, to discharge faithfully and resolutely all obligations and duties in all quarters of the world.
"More than that I don't think the House will wish me to say at the present time."
After referring to the demand for a fuller statement on Britain's war aims, the kind of post-war peace they wished to make, end pointing out that he did not think it wise, while the battle raged and the war was still perhaps only in its earlier stages, to embark upon elaborate speculations in this matter, the Prime Minister went on: "There is, however, one direction in which we can see a little more clearly ahead.
"We have to think not only for ourselves but for the lasting security, cause and principles for which we are fighting, and the long future of the British Commonwealth of nations.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.