The Prime Minister, whose every word is a tonic to the national spirit has all along carefully guarded him: self against promising smooth things. He threatens rather. than. promises. He Knows how much danger there has been in the past in the encouragement of wishful thinking, and he Will not allow himself to be drawn Into that deceptive vein of thought. He has wonderful backing from the orna men and women who serve T heed not here stress the gallantry of our boys in the air. Their epic has already been brilliantly told in the telegrams that you have received im Shanghai, But I think there is one point which might be made. These young men and women—and the remark applies to civilians as. well as the fighting men—do not tall heroically. They are almost painful-averse from appearing {0 show emotion or even enthusiasm.—Yet they are living ina heroic time and fare themselves the symbols of that lime. Those who have eventually the responsibility of rebuilding after thix war will be false to their trust If they do not take all possible means of secing that for these saviours of civilization the way of fe is smooth and encouraging.
The price that has to be paid is a heavy one. This was brought home lo me very forcibly because #0 quick I did T find in. the casualty liste ames of men whom Thad known in England and elsewhere: and in particular T recall meeting two men from Shanghai in quick succession, from whom, after "a ght enquiry about their family, I had the painful embarrassment of lea that each case a son had been killed in action. I do not want to dwell 100 mutch on the sombre note, but after all it is diffeult to deaw a true pie ture of the conflict without emphasiz-that question of the price.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.