"Tt Is not true that the Germans clothed their parachute troops who attacked Crete in New Zealand unlforms. I gave that report to the House os it reached me from the Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East, He now informs me that their mistake arose from the fact that the parachute troops. after landing at one point drove a number of New Zealand walking wounded before them and along with them in their attacks, and consequently the cry arose that they themselves were in New Zealand unlforms, 'There' is no objection to the use of parachute troops in war so long as they are dressed in the distinctive uniforms of their country. This kind of fighting, however, is ound to become very' fierce as it breaks out behind the front lines of any army and the civil population Ix almost immediately involved."
Mr, Churchill then turned to Syria, when Mr, Here-Belisha invited him
operation. fo say something about Ale Arm c0- The Prime Minister continued: "Last year the great need was to multiply fighters and bombers, It became an enormously important matter, Nevertheless, the proportion of Army Ca-operation squadrons associated with military forees was not on the scale which was desirable. It is of utmost consequence that every division, especially every armoured division, should have a chance to live its daily life training in close and precise relationship with the part! cular number of aircraft that it knows. it can call up at need, "It_was not possible last year to provide this on a large scale without trenching on other domains which were more vital to our safety, but It is our intention to go forward on that. path immediately "and provide the Army" with a considerably larger umber of aeroplanes suited entirely to the work they have to do, and above all, 10 the development of that Wireless connection between ground forces and the air which the Germans have carried to such an extraordinary: Point of perfection, "It thie fad been done in Crete, however it would not have made any difference (0 the event there, because the numbers there for the purpose of ce-operation with the troops could not have been altered,"
Why Aircraft Withdrew Replying to the question. of who decided that the air forces on the aerodromes of Crete were {0 be withdrawn, the Prime Minister said that it was decided by the Commander-in-Chief of the RAF, in the Middle East, on the recommend: tion of Gen, Freyberg, Commander-in-Chief of "Allied forces on Crete, concurred in by the Commander of the Fleet Air Arm on the spot, Mr, Churchill added that the numbers were small and it they had not been withdrawn they would have been blowa off the aerodrome without having been able in the slightest degree to affect the course of events, Coming to the Syrian operations, 'Mr, Churchill repeated: "We have no territorial designs in Syria or} anywhere else in French territory. We seek no colonies or advantages of' any Jkind for ourselves in this war, Lat none of our French friends be deceived by blatant German and Vichy propaganda, On the ecnirary, we shall do all in our power to restore the freedom, independence and rights of France.
Letter to de Gaulle "In a-letter I wrote to Gen, de Gaulle, leader of the Free French, 1 said that we shall do all in ur power to restore France's freedom and her rights, but it will be for the French to aid in restoring her greatness, There can be no doubt that.de Gaulle is a more zealous defender of France's interests than fare the men of Vichy, whose policy ig that of utter subservience to the German enemy.
"It did not take much intelligence to see that the infiltration into Syria by the Germans and their intrigues In Iraq constituted a very. great danger to the whole eastern flank our defences in the Nile Valley and the Suez Canal, "The only choice before us in that theatre for some time has been when ther 10. encourage the Free French to. attempt counter-penetration by themselves or whether, at a heavier risk in delay, {0 prepare a considerable-force as we have done, It was also necessary to restore the posl~ in Iraq before any serious advance in Syria could be made,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.