Mr. Churchill's references to the European war, in the speech at the luncheon given by the Lord Mayor of London, are of singular Importance coming at such a juncture as this. Great Britain has, he says, an air force which is at least equal in size and numbers, not to speak of quality, to German it power. The prospect.
ily superior is indeed favourable, and.
time should not be too far distant, when that superiority will have a decisive influence on the progress of the war. Great Britain's Navy is much stronger than when she went into the wai vessels can again be sent to the distant corners of the earth in protection of British interests, and the days of exclusive preoccupation with the war in Europe are ended. So much for the extravagant claims as to damage inflicted upon British navy which jan and Maliah propagandists "have so frequently made. The British Empire and its Allies fare far stronger now than they were a little over a year ago.
There is a vast difference between the [businesslike address of the Prime Minister and the plaintive wail which Hitler emitted at Munich. As in the past Mr. Churehilt has placed the situation frankly before the world, emphasizing the dangers which then existed, and the tremendousness of the effort required to meet them, so now he tells his hearers, that the blood, and tears, and sweat expended since Dunkirk have resulted in the rehabilitation of the British land forces, Jand their augmentation. But the effort must not be stayed. That, treacherous foe, com-Placency, must be continually fought. Satisfac tion with what has already been done, must Met obscure the fact that even greater efforts will be required, before the escape from defeat of last year is turned into the one great tact of victory. No Briton even in the larkest days admitted to himself the possibility of defeat. The war then, as now, was to be prosecuted to victory, and Mr. Churchill's statements mean thai the weapons with which to achieve that end are fast [coming to hand.
Mr, Churchill, in anticipation of a new)peace offensive, signs of which are already to be noted in neutral countries, makes the position of Great Britain and her Allies quite clear. "We owe it to ourselves," he said, "and to our Russian Allies, and to the Government and people of the United States to make it absolutely clear that, whether we fare supported or alone, however long and hard the toil may be, the British nation, in intimate concert with the Governments of the great Dominions, will never enter into Jany negotiations, with Hitler or any party in Germany which represents the Nox: regime." "That assurance is eminently satistactory and will be welcomed Ly democracies throughout the "world. There is not the slightest intention, and never was of allow-vil accomplices 10 get they have up to the [present accumulated. They, and their politic. ally bestial concept must be swept away if the world is ever to know freedom again. The criminals leading the Nazis must. brought to their doom. Their wicked system. must be crushed and the menace which hovers. over Europe dissipated once and for all.
'The spectacle which is presented in the occupied countries of Europe gives a 00d. idea of what the world would have' to. expect if Hitler were allowed either to win the day, or trick the Allies into a temporary peace in which time would be afforded him work out more of his fraudulent schemes, and prepare for fresh aggression. But Great Britain will have none of it. The British people and their Allies consider this a holy crusade to free the peoples of Europe from the shackles in which "Hitler would enslave them. It is a war in which there ican be no compromise. There never can be between good. and. evil. The fleet triumphs with which Hitler has succeed in paving the pathway which Teads to his own destruction and that of his system, are. not sufficient to influence the democracies. to any extent to faller in their determination that there can be only one end to this War, and that the destruction of the Nazi regime and the reduction of Germany to a state of impotence until such time, if indeed it ever comes, she is fit to be trusted with weapons again.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.