Foreign News: Men of Valor

Last week the world was made well aware that the storm-lashed British Empire had a man of valor at her helm. In Britain’s blackest night since the Spanish Armada lay off her coast in 1588, Prime Minister Winston Churchill not only spoke words of courage but matched them with action. In less than seven days Great Britain’s tireless old firebrand changed the character ot Allied warmaking from one of defend & wait to one of dare & strike, although the German onslaught made daring & striking seem more necessity than inspiration. The Prime Minister’s week: I-Tuesday he drafted England’s No. 2 hustler, Lord Beaverbrook, to head a new Ministry of Aircraft Production, the Allies’ greatest armament need (see below). ∧ Wednesday he completed his Government.

∧ Thursday he flew to Paris and gave France’s Premier Paul Reynaud a thoroughgoing fight talk. That was the day of the greatest break in the Allied lines south of Sedan. On that same day Premier Reynaud told his Chamber of Deputies that “men and methods” would be changed. Changed they were, with a new regime of strong men for France (see p. 34) and a new Allied generalissimo, Maxime Weygand (see p. 23). ∧ Back in London, Prime Minister Churchill lunched on Friday at the Japanese Embassy with Ambassador Mamoru Shigemitsu, Minister at Large Tatsuo Kawai, French Ambassador Charles Corbin and the Iranian Minister. Significant was this first official function Mr. Churchill had found time to attend. It was a safe guess that Mr. Churchill indicated no desire to jump The Netherlands East Indies. Still open, however, was the question of how long the Japanese would wait to see what Germany, the “protector” of The Netherlands, would do about her colonies. Saturday Mr. Churchill let it be known that his Government was seeking a “new and more friendly approach” to the Soviet Union, that two days earlier Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax had had an important talk with Soviet Ambassador Ivan Mikhailovich Maisky. Though this discussion was confined to trade problems, Russia’s growing fear of German military might led London to speculate on “an improvement of Anglo-Russian relations.” ∧ The R. A. F.’s gallant, aggressive action throughout the week (see p. 27) showed that the new Prime Minister was carrying the war to Germany as the Government of Prirne Minister Chamberlain had never dared to do.

∧ To the people of Britain-who could hear the roar of artillery across the Channel, who were short of sugar and bacon, who patrolled their roads day & night on the lookout for parachutists-Winston Churchill at week’s end made an eloquent radio speech, telling them that worse was in store for them in a war that would be fought to the end. High points:

“It would be foolish … to disguise the gravity of the hour. It would be still more foolish to lose heart and courage, or to suppose that well-trained, well-equipped Armies numbering three or four millions of men can be overcome in the space of a few weeks, or even months, by a swoop or raid of mechanized vehicles, however formidable.

“I have invincible confidence in the French Army and its leaders. . . . The Armies must cast away the idea of resisting attack behind concrete lines or natural obstacles and must realize that mastery can only be regained by furious and unrelenting assault. . . .

“We must expect that as soon as stability is reached on the Western Front the bulk of that hideous apparatus of aggression . . . will be turned upon us. … We are ready to face it.

“We shall not hesitate to take every step, even the most drastic, to call forth from our people the last ounce and the last inch of effort of which they are capable. The interests of property, the hours of labor, are nothing compared to the struggle for life and honor, for right and freedom, to which we have vowed ourselves.

“I have received from the chiefs of the

French Republic . . . the most sacred pledges that, whatever happens, they will fight to the end, be it bitter or be it glorious.

“Today is Trinity Sunday. Centuries ago words were written to be a call and a spur to the faithful servants of truth and justice:

” ‘Arm yourselves and be ye men of valor and be in readiness for the conflict, for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of our nation and our altars.’ “