Winding up the two-day debate in the House of Commons on the Gov ernment's motion of confidence, Mr, Winston. churehit, the Prime tini= ster, told the Members thay they must expect this war fo go on, for a very long time.
Pointing out" that General Sir Archibald) Wavell had neatly half a million men under his command, the Prime' Minister emphasized that the Joss of the British. position inthe Mediterranean and Nile valley would bhava very: severe blow. "Britain was termined to fight for them, and he had every reason to believe that the Cutcome would be successful.
The enemy was at present superior {in armoured vehicles in the Western Desert, but the air forces were about equal, Britain intends to defend her Positions to the death. and therd would be no thought of retirement from Crete or Tobruk. "Let there be featherhreaded or defeatist talk About culting our losses in the Middle East," the Prime Minister said, Situation in Tra "The British forces in Iraq are being continually reinforced "from India, and yesterday the besieged garrison of Habbaniyah inflicted over 1,000 casualties on the Iraqi attackers."
Mr. Churchill opened with a refer~ ence to Mr. Lloyd George's speech.—'lt there were any speech in the debate which was not particularly exhilarating, it was the speech of Mr. Lloyd George, who honoured us by one of his always deeply important and much valued appearances in the House."
'Mr. Lloyd George had complained because Mr. Eden did not refer to Spain. Russia, Vichy and. 'Turkey—"Well," said Mr. Churchill. "this is not a' debate on foreign policy as a whole and the speech of the Foreign Secretary must not only be judged by what he said. Tls merits must also be judged by what he did not say.
'i¢ he did not refer to Spain. it was not because we have not plenty of information about Spain. or because there are not a lot of things that could be said, but Tam not sure how those things which could be said about Spain could be couched in a vein which would be helpful to our affairs at present.
"Much might be said about Russia. but T am not sure we should gain any advantage by saying it. 1 am not quite certain that we should re~ ceive any thanks from the Soviet Government, It would be possible to dilate at length upon the sad tale of what ig going on at Vichy, but T really do not think we should profit ourselves well if we tarried long on that painful spectacle.
regarding Turkey, I thank Mr. Lloyd George for the great restraint with which he spoke about a country World conflict is of the greatest Importance.
"There are two points on which 1 can relieve his feelings and anxieties about Turkey. The first ly about the Vessels which carried German troops Through the Dardanelles to take the Greek islands, They had no right to slop them."
Int, Churchill then read an article of the convention dealing with the Siraits, and added with reference to the merchantmen, "I believe one of them might have been used in. the ccctipation of an island but there were other vestals in the possession of the Germans and allans which could have equally been used for that pur~ pose, This matter is a question of the interpretation of the treaty. and isa matter for Turkey."
Me. Churchill referred to the ro-mark by Mr. Lloyd George about the Sureement between Turkey and Iraq and said that Mr. Lloyd George was evidently referring (0. Iran—Z am happy to be able to relieve Mr. Lloyd George's anxiety. It appears that the arrangement is between Turkey and Persia. and relates to measures fo. strengthen the" Turco-Persian Border, which we know all about. and which' has been prepared for some lime and is now {0 be put into force as from April 1941, "To not think Mr. Lloyd George's speech wa particularly helpful ina period of what he himself called dis-enragement and disheartenment. It not the sort of speech one would have expected from a great war leader' of former days who Is accustomed to brush aside despondency and push onward to-a distant goal.
"It was a speech with which T think the illustrious Marshal Petain might Wwell have enlivened the days of Reynaud's cabinet. Tam grateful to him for one note he struck. namely that he'made It clear we should lose our debate by a vote of confidence. Because of the kind of speech we heard from him. T think' the Government were right to put down a vote of confidence, becatise ster our reverses and. difappointnents in the field. they have the right to know where ihey stand with the Commons. and. where the Commons stand with the country.
"It is highly important for the sake of foreign nations, especially nations balancing their policy of the present time, that they should be left. in no doubt about the stability of this
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.