Mr. Winston Churchill's review of the war in the House of Commons on Tuesday has been noted by commentators as being the brightest picture that any British spokesman has been privileged to outline since the beginning of the war. In most of his other speeches the Prime Minister has had to tell bad news, and in all conscience there has been enough of that during the past two years. Tuesday's effort was a decided change, and, though Mr. Churchill confined himself to the traditional British understatement, he was sufficiently buoyant in his remarks to assure the House and the people of Great Britain of his confidence as to the future and how that confidence is supported by the great efforts which are being made in the United States and Great Bhitain. He did not, however, say anything which would stimulate that complacency against which the Empire is being continually warned but rather spoke against it as one of the chief dangers to the efficient prosecution of this War. One observer states that by the exercise of his own will he.gave the impression of suppressing his lively optimism in order that over-confidence should not be felt.
The Prime Minister took occasion to deal with some of the critics of the Government outside the House, and the impression to be gained from his remarks is that it was about time that some of them were brought to a realization of what the Government had done, is doing and will do in the future. But the ery fact that he found it necessary to answer criticism indicates that one of the inestimable benefits of democracy, namely, that of free speech is preserved in Britain even in time of war. Hitler never answers criticism. There is none. If there were, doubtless the headsman's sword would render it inarticulate. The contrast between the liberty of expression in Great Britain, and the ruthless, suppression in Germany and the occupied countries is just as great as the contrast between the two warring ideologies. Mr. Churchill's defence of British action in Iran was complete, and, when he summed it up as "one of the most successful and well-conducted affairs wherein the Foreign Office had ever been concerned," he paid high tribute to the execution of a policy in conjunction with Russia which completely nullifled German intrigues in that part of the world.
The improvement in the Battle of the Atlantic is most gratifying. The Prime Minister very wisely points out that all danger has not yet been removed, and that renewed and even severer attacks by U-boats and long-range German aeroplanes are to be expected. The hope will be that the measures which are being taken for the defence of merchant shipping in the Atlantic, with the assistance of the United States fleet, will ultimately bring that menace under control as it was during the last war. Effogts are being made towards that end; and there is little doubt that eventually they will prove effective. In his final summing up Mr. Churchill told the House that he could give them no flattering hopes, still less guarantees. He quoted Mr. Maisky to the effect that there was no assurance that winter would bring any relaxation of the German pressure upon Russia. Nor would it give any assurance that the danger of invasion would be entirely lifted from the British Isles. Fortunately Great Britain is equipped to meet such a danger as never before in its history.
Whatever happens in the meanwhile Mr. Churchill warned his hearers that heavy fighting must be expected in the spring, heavier, perhaps, than any that Britain has experienced in the present war. That he experts will develop in the East to which it is expected that Hitler will shortly direct his attention. Fortunately the British have been accumulating considerable strength in that coming theatre of war. for it is realized that the war machine which Hitler has created is such that it must be continually in motion. Should it be unable to make much progress against Russia doubtless it will be turned towards an attempt to capture the Suez Canal and thus sever one of the imperial life lines, but with the inspiration of such a man as Mr. Churchill and the leadership of men like Generals Wavell and Auchinleck the British armies which have been stationed in the Fast may be expected to give a good account of themselves. They are now fully annrised of German war methods. have seen them tried out in France and in Russia, and are now in a better position to deal with them than when mechanized' warfare: was sprung as a first surprise,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.